PELICAN in BRIEF Corpus Christi College Cambridge Reflections on a Pandemic, Summer 2020 Introduction Elizabeth Winter Director of Development

As the world went into lockdown, the idea of launching a newsletter to provide a window into the College at a time when no one could visit seemed a good one. The original purpose was to have short factual pieces by Fellows about COVID-related topics. What actually happened was that the thirst for information and the desire to communicate grew as the lockdown dragged on, and the Pelican in Brief became a voice not only for Fellows but also for students, staff and alumni. We decided to stop at the end of the academic year when it seemed life was going to start returning to a kind of normality, and we decided to bind the issues into a magazine as evidence of what we did and how we all coped during these most astonishing and fearful circumstances.

So here we are, and here is the combined Pelican in Brief. The voices in it provide the echoes of life that resonated as we struggled through the greatest non-war crisis to hit the world since 1918. Some articles are factual and scientific; others are reflective and philosophical. Others still highlight the great sense of community and kindness that emerged along with the panic, confused political messaging and the despair many of us felt from time to time. This is the record of how the Corpus community coped with COVID-19.

Editing and commissioning the pieces gave me extraordinary insight into the spectrum of experiences and the research being carried out in labs from physics to neuroscience, often by a deft responsive turn away from other projects to address this new and frightening virus. They also show the term unlived, as Emma Wilson

2 so eloquently put it in her editorial. The silent My first project with the College was to edit and term when the College was almost empty, the produce the book Corpus - Within Living Memory, grass grew and there were no voices echoing a collection of memories of our oldest alumni, through the buildings. As I write the students loosely divided into decades and subject areas. have returned, but it is to a different, carefully As people wrote in with their recollections of life choreographed world of social distancing, face in Corpus from the 1920s to the 1950s, the book, masks and small hubs. A vaccine is still a long intended initially as a small softback publication, way off, and none of us know the trajectory of morphed into a hardback cornucopia of the the next few months. The College has gone to most extraordinary recollections of other worlds great lengths to provide a safe environment and academic life lived under circumstances we for the students and continues to work closely cannot imagine. Perhaps there is another book with the University on this. waiting to be written, detailing the experiences we are currently living. I hope someone writes it. I will be leaving the College as Development Director at the end of December, after 20 years I’d like to pay tribute to my wonderful team, all here. During those two decades so much has of whom are moving on to new roles in other happened, it would require an encyclopaedic colleges and charities and of course to send my list to describe it all. It’s enough to say that for successor every good wish. The development me they have been wonderful years, and that office will change, but the mission of excellence, much was achieved in the College during this meritocracy, widening participation and fair time. The Taylor Library, the Kho building, Kwee access will not. I remember when I first came Court, the refurbished Parker Library, endowed to the College someone told me the secret Fellowships and bursaries, the annual fund to Cambridge was disruptive thinking in and the legacies; all this and much more was unchanging ritual and environment. The bones made possible by the generosity and loyalty of the place are the buildings, the ceremonies, the of the alumni, Fellows and friends. But that is Latin graces, processions and gowns. The nerves just a list. What has meant so much more have are the creative processes that run through the been the relationships with Fellows, staff and colleges and departments like electric currents alumni. Over years of travels and College visits and set the world alight with possibilities. It’s and reunions I’ve got to know a great many of been a great privilege to have been able to play our 5,000 alumni and these encounters have a part over the past two decades and watch it informed and educated me as well as been happen. extremely enjoyable occasions. Floreat Antiqua Domus.

3 Contents

1. Issue 1 ...... 5 – 12 2. Issue 2 ...... 13 – 18 3. Issue 3 ...... 19 – 27 4. Issue 4 ...... 28 – 34 5. Issue 5 ...... 35 – 44 6. Issue 6 ...... 45 – 53 7. Issue 7 ...... 54 – 63 8. Issue 8 ...... 64 – 74 9. Issue 9 ...... 75 – 84 10. Issue 10 ...... 85 – 94

4 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 1: 2 April 2020

Editorial Professor Christopher Kelly The Master

‘Humans are by nature social animals … anyone (so to the end of June). The core format will who cannot live as part of community, or is so remain constant. Above all, I wanted to make self-sufficient as not to need to … is either a sure that alumni were kept up-to-date with how beast or a god.’ So rightly remarked Aristotle in the College is dealing with COVID-19 and its his Politics, no doubt reflecting on the face-to- consequences for Fellows, staff and students. face society of Athens in the fourth century B.C. This also seemed the ideal moment to call on The challenge for any community is how to stay the Fellowship’s expertise; so I have asked some connected. Or better put: a community is only of my colleagues to offer brief commentaries on as strong as its connections. Amongst the many the pandemic from the point of view of their threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic is that own discipline. These promise to be fascinating it will weaken the ties that bind communities by in themselves, but also offer a serious counter- forcing us to keep a not-so-social distance from weight to the miasma of rumour and half-truth our friends and colleagues. that always swirls around any crisis. The Corpus community is a special case. Its Each Pelican in Brief will introduce one of the coherence and communality rely not so much on more recent members of the Fellowship. It will face-to-face encounters (though these are always also include reflections on the College’s long enjoyable – the Beldam and MacCurdy dinners, history of confronting and overcoming crises. A the summer party), as on a shared experience number of forthcoming issues will offer a snap- in an institution that has been engaged in the shot from the extraordinary riches of the Parker same purpose of education, research, learning Library. These reflections are reminders that this and religion for nearly seven hundred years. In College and its community have faced – and the face of the necessary cancellation of all survived – plagues stretching back to our very alumni events for the foreseeable future, there foundation in the mid fourteenth century. seemed no better moment to assert our shared identity as members of this community than by I hope as you stay sheltered and safe that the ensuring that news and information continued Pelican in Brief will serve as an affirmation of to flow to those who value their continuing a still thriving community of which you remain connection with this College. part – even if for the moment that community has to take on a virtual form. In this electronic Hence this Pelican in Brief. This is the first version of the College, we can all remain social of ten issues which will stretch, roughly every animals. Here, at least, there is no need to ten days or so, to the end of the Easter Term practice social distancing.

5 News from the College Dr Marina Frasca-Spada Senior Tutor

This is a difficult time for all of us, trying to geekiest of teenagers. And it is via email and reorganise our lives (our work, our modes of other electronic media that Tutors and Directors engagement with each other) around sudden of Studies remain in frequent contact with new rules. For most of our students, the last few students, to offer them their support and to weeks have meant a brusque change of pace – make sure they know we are still their College, from the typical term-time intensely socialised and always here for them. combination of intellectual work and the collegial daily life surrounded by your friends and We already know that there will not be a residential peers, to the equally intense loneliness of social term at the other end of this strange Easter distance and self-isolation, and the uncertainty vacation. The University has decided that most of the near future. of our teaching will take place online, and we are now getting organised for that, experimenting We – the Tutors and the tutorial/welfare staff – with different conference platforms. Since it is have worked hard to make sense quickly of the clear that examinations in the usual format, with realities of this new situation, and have been large numbers crowding into examination halls, helping our students to decide whether to stay will be impossible, the University Departments in Cambridge or leave. We were clear from the and Faculties are also working hard to identify start that we would respect every student’s alternative forms of assessment, also to be decision, and that we would be on their side conducted remotely. Doing everything from whatever that decision might be. We made clear a distance in this way for the next weeks and to all our students that, if they were to stay, months also means that our finalists will not be they would be able to rely on a safe and secure able to have their Graduation Dinner and their environment in our College. We discussed all General Admissions degree ceremony this June. such matters personally with a large number, But we are still their College, and in due course, one by one, on the telephone or via Skype. And once the emergency is over, we will be here, as they know that we will do our best to alleviate we have been for nearly seven hundred years, to any financial hardship that may result from celebrate them and their achievements. these extraordinary circumstances. Of our five hundred or so students, undergraduates and postgraduates, at the moment around sixty remain in residence in the Old House and in Leckhampton, and our core teams are working hard to look after them. The College now looks eerily quiet and empty; but New Court is more beautiful than ever, its golden stone gleaming in the clear sunshine of this early spring. Most of us are now working remotely from home. It was curious to see how quickly we have all adapted to spending time glued to our screens – as many hours as the

6 ISSUE NO.1 ISSUE Reflections from the Fellowship Dr Qingyuan Zhao University Lecturer and Fellow in Statistics, models the impact of COVID-19 on populations

Ever since I left China for postgraduate studies I still vividly remember my dismay on 6 February, in the US, I was always proud to introduce my the day when I first found that the epidemic hometown to everyone I met. But when I was was doubling every two to four days in Wuhan admitted to Corpus Fellowship on 10 February before its lockdown. At the time, other studies this year, for the first time I didn’t need to locate published in the most authoritative medical my hometown by indicating the distance from journals estimated doubling at every six to Beijing or Shanghai. Yes, I was born and raised in seven days. By now it should be obvious that Wuhan, and I am writing about the coronavirus my estimate was much closer to the truth. that has taken thousands of lives there, and is The easiest way to observe this is from two continuing to take more lives around the world. graphs showing the cumulative COVID-19 cases (and deaths) in different countries since I started to follow the news about this epidemic it passed 100 cases (and 10 deaths). It is clear outbreak before it was called COVID-19, and that the total cases and deaths grew about a even before we knew that the pathogen was a hundred times in the first twenty days in most novel coronavirus. I have been through all the countries. This rate is the same as doubling negative emotions – confusion, worry, distrust, every three days. shock, despair, anger – perhaps like everyone reading this newsletter, but just two months Even for expert epidemiologists, it may seem earlier. As an academic statistician, I decided surprising that the analysis I performed, using that the best way I could help is by analysing the a mere fifty COVID-19 cases while others were COVID-19 data myself. using thousands, provided a more accurate

7 PELICAN in BRIEF answer. But to me this was obvious: what matters is data quality, not data quantity. A typical epidemiological study of COVID-19 used epidemic curves in regional outbreaks to fit a Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model, which is a system of differential equations. But most studies failed to recognise two distinct features of the current pandemic:

• In almost all countries, a large number of COVID-19 cases were unidentified due to a shortage of testing kits; • The reproductive rate of COVID-19 is constantly changing because governments are dynamically adjusting their public health measures.

As a consequence, key assumptions of the SIR model are not satisfied. Because of this, most early analyses underestimated the epidemic growth of COVID-19. By contrast, I decided to focus on Wuhan-exported cases confirmed in a few countries that tested COVID-19 cases aggressively. The sample size is much smaller, but the data quality is also much better. Moreover, instead of applying a standard SIR model, I started from the first principles and built a bespoke statistical model. That is how I avoided the common mistakes that plague so many other studies. So, I would like to share with the Corpus community the one lesson I learned about COVID-19: this is an extraordinary pandemic, so we must treat it seriously. In particular, instead of following the opinions of others, more than ever we need to think critically ourselves. Link to the report of the COVID-19 analysis: http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~qz280/ papers/covid-2019-1.pdf

8 ISSUE NO.1 ISSUE Dr Sam Zeitlin Hong Kong Link Early-Career Research Fellow and College Lecturer in Politics, reflects on the impact of COVID-19 and the global uncertainty that results

The present situation is characterised, above to retain something of our “politicality” and all, by uncertainty—corporal, spatial, hygienic, with it, our humanity, when we are no longer but also political, financial and economic. interacting face-to-face with others?

From China to Britain to the United States, In politics, to what extent are we to live by persons and whole peoples have been confined the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy? Are to their homes. In many countries, from Iran to incumbent office-holders in some manner Japan to Spain, and not least, (writing on 25 responsible for the events which occur on their March 2020) in Italy, the recorded numbers watch or solely for their responses, foresighted of infected and dead are sobering. The world or imprudent, to events as they arise? What over, thousands have lost their loved ones, would accountability amount to in the present their jobs, their life savings. In the United situation? What in any case are the criteria States, as following the tragedy of September for assessing accountability in crises and 11 2001, primary elections have been emergencies? Might the present crisis serve postponed. In Britain and elsewhere, popular to restore a sense of common and shared views of expertise have seemingly pivoted purpose, or will it lead merely to greater and in an instant—from politicians (and publics) retrenched partisan and factional divisions? rejecting the rule of experts to popular leaders framed bodily by medical doctors, surgeons- general and public health officials.

In moments of uncertainty, such as the present, we are left with our sorrow for lost relatives, acquaintances and friends, as well as for people whom we did not know. In such moments, we are left with doubts and unease but also with our questions. When will there be a vaccine? How many will perish before we have one? When will we be able to leave our homes, to return to work, to rejoin our families and friends from whom we have been separated and socially distanced?

In politics, the current situation raises a In our uncertainty we can experience an question for democratic theory: is it possible unawaited gratitude. When life seems more for the people to assemble in a situation tenuous or fragile, we may feel greater deemed to be an emergency? More broadly, appreciation merely for being alive. Amidst to what extent is the present crisis a political uncertainty, sadness, questioning and sorrow, one? To the extent that it is, are our present we can be grateful for our friends, our families, institutions equipped to handle it? Looking our teachers, our students and for many of the back to Aristotle’s understanding of the human blessings which we so often overlook. as a political animal in his Politics, is it possible

9 New Fellows Dr Qingyuan Zhao Fellow in Statistics

Qingyuan was born and raised in Wuhan, Statistical Laboratory in Cambridge as a which despite its current association with the University Lecturer. coronavirus, is a beautiful city long known for Qingyuan’s research interests lie primarily its rivers, lakes and lively breakfast tradition. in drawing scientific conclusions about After high school, he went to the Special causal relationships using experimental Class for the Gifted Young programme in and observational data, a fast-growing the University of Science and Technology of area known as “causal inference”. He is also China and majored in mathematics. He then broadly interested in applying statistical went to Stanford University for postgraduate methods in biomedical and social sciences. studies and obtained his PhD in Statistics in Outside academics, Qingyuan enjoys cycling 2016. He spent three years in the Wharton and skiing, and he recently started to learn to School of The University of Pennsylvania play blues harmonica. as a postdoctoral fellow before joining the

10 ISSUE NO.1 ISSUE A view from the College Chapel The Revd Dr Andrew Davison Dean of Chapel, Fellow in Theology and Starbridge (University) Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences meditates on the challenges of prayer during a pandemic

Chapel services usually pause over the vacation is also associated with Rogation Sunday, as but, as Lent Term ended, the world faced a a prayer for crops, which is when two of the health crisis unlike anything any of us had seen, college’s four Parker Sermons are delivered so the chaplain and I carried on praying there each year. – duly distanced, of course – for the city and College, including old members, and for the country and world. Soon, that had to move from chapel. Frustrating though it may be, for most of us the great act of charity at the moment is to stay at home to save lives. Our focus each day is to celebrate the Eucharist, and to pray the Litany. I’ve written elsewhere about the place of the Eucharist in these odd times (here, in Church Times). The Litany may be less familiar. It’s the Church’s most solemn outpouring of intercession, composed of petitions (thirty-four in all) with communal responses: for instance, ‘From famine and disaster; from Some readers will be familiar with the Prayerbook violence, murder and dying unprepared: Good Litany of 1662 (based on Thomas Cranmer’s Lord, deliver us.’ The petitions start by praying earliest venture into official English prayer for our own growth in goodness, then move on to writing and translation). We’ve been using the ask for deliverance from danger, and the welfare contemporary English version from Common of others, including the Queen and Parliament, Worship (2000), which I think is one of the most judges, families, the sick, travellers, women in successful parts in the modern rite. Intriguingly, childbirth and even ‘our enemies, persecutors the thought of the Corpus clergy reciting the and slanderers’. There’s something appropriate Litany provoked interest on social media. That about repetition, piling up prayers, in a situation emboldened me to ask whether the Church of like this. Carol Ann Duffy captures it from her England’s ‘Daily Prayer’ app and website could be own, I think more secular, perspective in her tweaked, to include a direct link to the Litany for poem ‘Prayer’. the first time, and they were. There are some Corpus connections to the We are adapting to chapel life continued and Litany. It seems St Gregory the Great was an coordinated online. Our first venture has been early advocate. (Gregory’s Gospels, given to a daily live-streamed communal Litany. For that, Augustine of Canterbury, are one of the most and ongoing developments, see the chapel precious books in the Parker Library.) The Litany webpage, or @CorpusCamChapel on Twitter.

11 Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, looks at how Matthew Parker dealt with unwanted guests in time of plague

Dealing with prisoners during outbreaks of In the end, Parker refused to admit these guests epidemic disease has always posed a problem to his own household immediately, but allowed for governments. In 1563, as plague rampaged them to use his empty house at Bekesbourne near through London, the Privy Council turned to Canterbury, believing that a spell of quarantine in Matthew Parker, archbishop of Canterbury and clean air was in order: ‘till such time as they were former Master of Corpus, to help them solve the better blown with this fresh air for a fourteen days’. problem of providing safe accommodation for high- status, political prisoners. On 15 September 1563, This particularly serious outbreak of Plague lasted the Council wrote to the archbishop declaring that until January 1564, by which time Parker was it had agreed to requests from Thomas Thirleby, writing to his colleague the bishop of London former bishop of Ely, and his colleague John Boxall, about composing a form of thanksgiving to be to be removed from the Tower of London ‘for their read in churches. But, having seen the back of the better safeguard from the present infection of the Plague for the time being, Parker was not able to plague’, and that they would become his charge. rid himself of his guests, who by this time were The letter is the beginning of the story of how with him at Lambeth. He was to be a reluctant Matthew Parker dealt with this less than welcome host to these adherents of the pre-Reformation responsibility. church until Thirleby’s death in 1570. Thomas Thirleby had been imprisoned in the Tower since June 1560 after he refused to swear the Oath of Supremacy to Elizabeth I in 1559, which he followed up by preaching against the changes happening in the newly reformed Church of England. He could have remained in the Tower a very long time, but when plague began to decimate London, the Privy Council decided that Thirleby – with Boxall (who had been secretary of state to the Catholic Queen Mary I) – was best released into the care of Archbishop Parker. They acquainted Parker with the good news in writing – assuring him that Thirleby and Boxall could be placed ‘in such convenient lodging as your lordship shall think meet, having each of them one servant to attend upon them’ and that the two prisoners would pay for their own keep. Unsurprisingly, Parker was reluctant to house Thirleby, Boxall and their servants in his own house at Lambeth – then outside the urban area – since, Image: Letter from the Privy Council to Matthew as Thirleby admitted in another letter, he had no Parker, 15 September 1563, CCCC ms.114A, p.87. idea how to avoid bringing the plague with them as they travelled through the most infected parts of the city.

12 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 2: 9 April 2020

Editorial The Revd Dr Andrew Davison Dean of Chapel, Fellow in Theology and Starbridge (University) Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences

The image of a pelican feeding her young with her century hymn, ‘Death and life have contended blood might seem macabre. Its message, however, / In that combat stupendous’. This is what the is one of life, as the events of Holy Week confirm. pelican represents: not an attachment to death, nor enchantment of suffering, but one who faced The Nicene Creed, the pivotal expression of loss for the sake of deliverance, and was willing Christian belief, has something arresting to say to die for the sake of life. about life. The authors wanted to describe God as ‘the giver of life’. The word they used doesn’t refer Christianity has often seen a substitution at work to the life of the human soul, or the manner of a in the events of Holy Week and Easter, something human life, but rather to life at its most universal. of God standing in our place. It has not, however, Their word for ‘giver of life’ belongs with the rising always left it there, not least because the story life of Spring: the life of seeds pushing through leads on to Resurrection, and the work of a new the ground, of the new-born lamb or foal, of life’s creation. Christ’s words, ‘Go, and do likewise’ extraordinary transcendence of inanimate matter, echo down the centuries, falling for instance of life opposed to death. on the ears of our founders, faced with their own pandemic. The events of the past months have held life and death before us as few of us will have experienced We see people all around us in hospitals and before. Our labours, our economy, even our clinics, and in countless other places tread the staying at home, are all now orientated towards course familiar to us in Holy Week. Across the life. We mourn this life, lost by those who have whole human family, they play a part in the ‘combat died in such large numbers. We see the force stupendous’. As we see in what follows in Pelican of life demonstrated in recoveries, happily more in Brief: in a college community assembled under each day. We are in awe of those, especially in the sign of a pelican, charged by our founders to hospitals and healthcare, who put their own lives be those who in our lives fight for life. at risk, and some of whom have already died for the sake of life. Recalling those people – doctors, nurses, pharmacists and many others – I am reminded of Stephen Spender’s poem ‘The Truly Great’ (Poems, 1933), in which he praises ‘those who in their lives fought for life’. Those of us following the story of Holy Week and Easter find battle and sacrifice there too: a life fighting for life. In the words of an eleventh-

13 News from the College Dr David Secher Interim Bursar

On 2 March 2020, I gave a lecture at the King My initial priorities for the first month were to get Fahd University of Petroleum and Mining (Saudi to know all the staff and most of the Fellows; to Arabia’s top research university) in the seaside familiarise myself with the exciting new building town of Al-Khobar. On Wednesday 3 March, I project at 23 Cranmer Road, to create more started as Interim Bursar at Corpus, having student accommodation on the Leckhampton flown back overnight via Dubai. As I write this site; and to check that the finances of the on 3 April, I reflect on how much the world has College were in good shape. As it turned out, changed in a month – and how different is the I have met perhaps a quarter of the staff and job of Interim Bursar from the role I thought I only a handful of Fellows. My priority has been to was taking on. ensure that all the staff are supported during a time of unprecedented change, as we close down the College, manage a complicated process of “furlough” for half the staff (the College will supplement the government scheme to ensure our staff receive 100% of their salaries), and continue to provide the necessary, skeleton services for those students who are unable to return to their family home. But there have been high points too: the sun has shone on many days and I have had to catch my breath at the beauty of the buildings in the Old House and the splendour of the Leckhampton site; the welcome from those staff and Fellows I have been able to meet could not have been warmer; and the College is in good shape to survive the turmoil we are in. I have not for one moment regretted my decision and I hope that in the short time I am privileged to be part of the Corpus community, I can play a small role I was Bursar of Gonville and Caius College for six in helping the College to emerge even stronger years and really enjoyed the job. I retired eighteen than before. months ago (age limit) having taken the endowment It is a disappointment that I have had so little from £120m to £210m and produced a thirty- opportunity to meet students, and it seems year estate strategy for the College’s Cambridge unlikely that they will return before I hand over properties, commercial and operational. So when to my successor, but, in the middle of writing Tim Harvey-Samuel, who had become a close this note, I observed a small group maintaining colleague and friend during that time, approached “social distancing”, enjoying their lunch on the me with the suggestion that I might like to consider Old Court lawn, thanks to the Dean of College, being Interim Bursar at Corpus for seven months, I who has temporarily relaxed the restriction. jumped at the privilege.

14 Reflections from the Fellowship

Dr Sam Behjati NO.2 ISSUE Fellow in Medical Sciences, Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow and Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, talks about the challenges of his work as a clinical paediatrician and research scientist in the crisis of the pandemic

As I am writing these words, we can see the Leader, has ceased all research activities for the time tsunami of COVID-19 on the horizon of our capital. being. It has made its sequencing might available It is unclear with what force it will hit Cambridge. to the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium. This There is an eerie silence at Addenbrooke’s right consortium of NHS, Public Health Agencies and now, whilst the entire Trust is preparing for the academic institutions will map in real time the onslaught. Every corner of the hospital has been spread of COVID-19 through the country by reorganised. Every staff member – from cleaner to analysing the genetic code of the virus. The mission consultant – is laser focused on just the one task: of Sanger is to ‘use genome sequences […] to to care for our community in these difficult times. improve human health’. Who would have thought Academic clinicians, like myself, have come out of that the cutting edge technology of our ivory tower our ivory towers to join our colleagues on the shop could be of such practical and immediate value to floor. the health of the British people? As a paediatric oncologist I worry about the children that I look after. The experience of our Chinese and Italian colleagues has been that children undergoing cancer treatment do not seem particularly vulnerable to the sequelae of COVID-19 infections. If true, this would be most unusual, as our patients usually suffer severely from just the ordinary seasonal flu. However, we are not taking any chances. We have advised children under our care to self-isolate until further notice. We are making every effort to conduct consultations that cannot be postponed by phone. As paediatricians, One thing that has become crystal clear over we have little expertise in looking after adults. the past few weeks is that only because our However, we are trying to take the workload off our health service is national, are we able to mount colleagues in adult medicine wherever possible. a coordinated, national response to this global For example, paediatricians are now running the health crisis. When I look at Germany where my paediatric A&E department at Addenbrooke’s, to parents live, arguably one of the most advanced relieve A&E specialists who are also qualified to (and certainly most expensive) healthcare systems, look after adults. I am shocked by the inability of the health service there to coordinate their efforts. Each practice and My lab has become a virtual space, connected by hospital are doing their own thing, as there are Webex, Zoom, Bluejeans and GoogleHangout. no unified plans, communication or governance Luckily, we have an enormous backlog of data and structures. No number of staff, ventilators or face projects that will see us through the drought of masks can compensate for fragmentation. Perhaps the next few months. My main concern is to keep this experience will teach us to put the question the projects of my doctoral students going. The of the NHS and privatisation above and beyond Welcome Sanger Institute, where I am a Group ideology and party politics?

15 New Fellows Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian

Philippa Hoskin became a fellow of Corpus in Her most recent project was funded by an October 2019, joining the College from the AHRC major research grant and explored what University of Lincoln, where she had been the incidental impressions made on wax seals Professor of Medieval Studies in the Department at the time of their creation (finger and hand of History and Heritage and School Director of prints) reveal about who was involved in the Research. She was previously at the University physical acts of sealing legal documents and of York in research, teaching and archival roles. what this suggests about how ordinary people understood the act of legal record creation and Philippa’s research focuses strongly on the the significance of these ‘security’ seals. The English medieval written record with a particular project involved bringing together the expertise interest in using information about the structure of forensic scientists with insights from medieval and creation of formal administrative records art history, literature, law and history. Its outputs to answer new research questions. Her recent have included, besides the academic ones, a monograph Robert Grosseteste and the 13th- collection of computer games. century Diocese of Lincoln: An English Bishop’s Pastoral Vision, synthesised the evidence of She would be delighted to hear from anyone the bishop’s administrative practice with his interested in collaborative projects concerning theological understandings of the nature of the either her own research interests or, more relationship between god and people. Previous broadly, the manuscript and printed collections work has engaged with, amongst other things, of the Parker Library. spiritual drivers that drove the bishops of the mid-thirteenth century to engage in political revolt, Robert Grosseteste’s use and abuse of Aristotle’s Ethics, and the practicalities of record-creation for itinerant clerical households. She has particular expertise in the scholarly editing of medieval documents, producing both print and digital editions, and in supporting the management of historical manuscript and print collections. Among other editing projects she has been the General Editor of the Canterbury and York Society (2006–2019) and the British Academy’s English Episcopal Acta Project (2003 – present), and has worked with a number of digitisation projects including leading the Andrew W. Mellon funded Cause Papers of the Diocesan Courts of York project (church court records 1300–1858) and is currently chair of the ARHC Northern Way project steering committee. She is also chair of the Lincoln Cathedral Library Advisory Board.

16 Dr Charles Read Hong Kong Link Early-Career Research and Teaching

Fellow in Modern British History, and NO.2 ISSUE Dr Peter Martland (m 1982) editor of The Record, look at the devastation caused by the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 and its long term effects

In a rather sobering co-incidence of history, one wartime censors across the Allies and Central hundred years ago last month (March 1920) Powers minimised early reports of the illness marked the end of the final major outbreak of and mortality. In sharp contrast, newspapers in Spanish flu. That pandemic, which like COVID-19 neutral Spain could freely report the epidemic’s today was caused by a respiratory-based virus, effects when it arrived there. The idea that was the third most deadly of the past millennium. Spain was the first, or hardest, hit country was Only the bubonic plague, or Black Death, of the fake news, but it nonetheless gave rise to the fourteenth century – a tragedy out of which the pandemic’s enduring nickname, “Spanish flu”. Guilds of the Corpus Christi and Blessed Virgin In Britain, the first wave of the epidemic peaked Mary founded this College – and the spread of in June and July 1918 and was followed by a smallpox to the Americas in the sixteenth century more deadly wave which peaked in October and killed a greater share of the world population. November, ending in spring 1919. A smaller Some five hundred million people (a quarter of outbreak reappeared in early 1920, before the the world’s population) may have caught the strain faded away. In Britain, 228,900 died; in Spanish flu, of which epidemiologists currently France, 166,000; in Germany, 225,330 and in believe that it killed between seventeen and fifty the United States, 550,000. Spanish flu also million people worldwide. That is either more cut a swathe through the developing world. Over than were killed in combat by the First World a million died in West Africa and up to sixteen War, or in the two world wars combined. million in India. The crisis is often forgotten by the general In Iran, it has been estimated that between public, and shamefully by many history books, 902,400 and 2,431,000, amounting to some 8% because it came on the heels of another deadly to 22% of the total population, died. Worse hit tragedy: the slaughter in the trenches of the still were the Pacific Islands; during the autumn First World War. The disease had first emerged of 1918, some lost up to 25% of their entire in the spring of 1918 and hit Britain hard in population. Unlike COVID-19, which is caused two further outbreaks starting in September by a coronavirus, the Spanish flu was a version of 1918 (two months before the Armistice) and the H1N1 influenza virus, a later strain of which in February 1919. Scientists disagree where it killed up to 575,000 people worldwide during appeared first: a crowded British army camp in the “swine flu” pandemic of 2009. Even so, the France, a farm in Kansas and a bird migration evidence so far is that COVID-19 and Spanish flu route in China all provide credible explanations have broadly similar mortality rates among those for its origin. However, the disease was not infected. But unlike most influenza viruses (and, discussed publicly in the combatant countries indeed, COVID-19), which are most likely to kill until the end of the war. To maintain morale, the elderly, Spanish flu impacted more heavily on

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Image: UK 1918-1919 weekly combined influenza and pneumonia mortality.

children and young adults. About 25% of deaths due to the disease were aged fifteen or under and about 45% were aged between fifteen and thirty-five. The disease also spread round the world remarkably rapidly, helped by modern rail and shipping networks, as well as the movement of millions of soldiers. The Spanish flu killed more people in absolute numbers in the first 24 weeks of its appearance than HIV/AIDS, a pandemic of the late twentieth century, killed in its first 24 years. Explanations for the flu abounded, but at the time the virus that caused it was not isolated. It had the character of a plague, so by some it In popular memory, the loss of so many more was seen as divine punishment for the terrible young people due to Spanish flu is often forgotten, man-made slaughter on the Western Front. at least in Britain, because it was deliberately Others pointed to circumstances that may have buried in the pain of the First World War, with many been favourable to the virus: on the home front, deaths from flu included on war memorials. That poor health caused by air pollution, rationing, concealed the full extent of the economic damage food shortages and the impact of blockade; on from the pandemic, particularly the destruction of the military front, densely-packed, lice-ridden human capital it caused. Robert Barro at Harvard trenches and army camps. Economic historians University recently estimated that Spanish flu have since shown that levels of air pollution and reduced real per capita GDP in the typical country it malnutrition increased the infectiousness and hit by 6.0%, compared to not much more (8.4%) for mortality rate from Spanish flu. (Some recently the impact of the war on each one affected. Worse published scientific papers also come to similar still, in the longer term, some economists argue it conclusions about COVID-19.) Indeed, at least contributed to a lost decade of economic growth one historian of the Spanish flu, Andrew Price- in Britain in the 1920s. With COVID-19, better Smith, suggests the disease turned the tide medical know-how and lockdowns will hopefully of the war in the Allies’ favour in the middle of keep the absolute number of people infected and 1918. Germany and Austria were hit earlier and killed well below that of the Spanish flu. But be harder by the disease, fatally weakening their warned: pandemics have greater consequences war efforts. than first meet the eye.

18 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 3: 21 April 2020

Editorial Elizabeth Winter Director of Development

As we enter a further stretch of lockdown mental distress and anxiety. We are able to help the impact on our community is striking; the them thanks largely to the generosity of the gifts adaptations needed to cope with life become you, our alumni, have given over the years and more demanding and the sense of isolation which we are now drawing on heavily. We thank threatens us all. Yet the kindnesses and support you warmly for your support as we, like you, shown by many people provide the emotional try to navigate a safe and healthy way through structure that holds us all together. We think this crisis. of our alumni around the world who are As the Senior Tutor writes here, we have been experiencing COVID-19 in many demanding and working hard on establishing online teaching distressing ways, and extend the best wishes so that students can continue their education of the Corpus community to all. In College, as uninterrupted as possible. It is distressing we are especially grateful to alumni who have for everyone that we will not be physically in stepped forward and offered help, some in the residence for the Easter term. The usual fun form of support for student hardship; others following examinations will not take place, and in practical ways. One alumnus in Hong Kong, I regret the loss of our alumni events, especially for example, has shipped masks, sanitiser and the reunion dinners, 1352 day, and the Summer safety equipment to help staff manage their Party which has become a highlight of our year. work more safely. The way all our members, We are thinking constantly of ways of staying both resident and external, are rallying round connected, of keeping you in touch with the and supporting one another is the true measure College as life goes on in this strange dystopian of how we stand as a community. world, and we welcome your emails, letters and Although all of us have new challenges and phone calls. The College is still very much the worries about the future to address, in College vibrant place it always was, and I am struck not we are also dealing with the immediate need for the first time by the wonderful ability of our created by the change in circumstances for our Corpus community to adapt to these challenging students whose lives have been turned upside circumstances and find the strengths and down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senior friendship that bind us together. We send our Tutor describes some of these in her article very best wishes to all our alumni in this difficult below. Some of our students can’t get home; time, and look forward to welcoming you back some have no home to go to; others have new in College as soon as circumstances allow. expenses which added to their debt cause great

19 News from the College Dr Marina Frasca-Spada Senior Tutor

This week, while you are receiving and reading students, will also take place online. We really this newsletter, a new Easter term is starting. need to do our best to ensure that all our students What kind of term this is going to be we are will be properly equipped for this strange new not yet sure: Cambridge will be now as world. So a few days ago we sent them a brief uncharacteristically empty of students, as it survey asking about their study space at home, has been empty of tourists during the Easter their electronic devices (laptops, tablets, smart vacation. All our teaching is going to take place phones, cameras, scanners…), the availability of online. By now, even the most IT-shy among us a suitably powerful web connection – and we are getting used to online conference platforms. received over 100 replies in the first couple of All the meetings that prepared the University and hours. For the moment we just need to establish the College for term-time on a screen have taken how many of them will need our help with this. place online, and now we are happy even to talk to the more scattered bits of our own families In the meantime, the welfare team continues via Zoom or Google Hangouts – we don’t mind to meet daily on Zoom to discuss any new any longer the intensity of all those faces side developments, and how to keep track of a by side on our screens or the impossibility of variety of practical matters relating to students, making eye-contact with anyone. And this is very whether in residence or at home. Last week we good news, since now we need these platforms also had the first tutors’ meeting of the term to for our core mission – our lectures, seminars, discuss how to make sure that students remain supervisions. We have learnt how to blur our real- aware that this is their academic home, whether life background or hide it behind photographs of here in the flesh or virtually. our offices, so that our supervises will not be distracted by the unusual landscape in which our small group discussions are taking place. We have known all along – in fact we have often lamented – that our students are all too familiar with virtual communication and disembodied social interactions. And yet, we are now discovering that a number of them may not have access to laptops or internet connections that are efficient enough for our present purposes – indeed, we already know that a number of them in their family homes may not even have a space where they can peacefully concentrate, behind a closed door, to do their reading and writing or to discuss their essays or their revision plans with their Director of Studies and supervisors. This is all the more a concern, since this year not just our teaching, but all their assessments, including the final-year ones for our third- and fourth-year

20 Reflections from the Fellowship Dr Ewan St John Smith Fellow in Pharmacology and (University) Reader in Nociception, sheds light on the journey to a COVID-19 cure

I am a pharmacologist, and so the search for annually. Although we do not yet know how

COVID-19 treatments interests me greatly. effective immunity provided by a future vaccine NO.3 ISSUE Prevention is better than cure. But only a might be, one favourable factor is that unlike global vaccination/eradication programme, influenza viruses, coronaviruses have a lower like that initiated in 1958 by the World Health mutation rate. Thus if a useful vaccine can be Organisation (WHO) for smallpox, will truly developed, the chances are that it should be stop COVID-19. Vaccines work by exposing the quite effective. body’s immune system to a non-pathogenic component of the microorganism or virus of Whilst we await a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, interest; the immune system then produces developing effective treatment for COVID-19 antibodies making it ready to deal with future is critical, especially considering the problems exposures; when a high enough proportion of faced by hospitals dealing with large numbers a population are vaccinated, herd immunity of patients, many requiring intensive care unit results. However, viruses can mutate and evolve; support. People do not stop needing intensive that is, antibodies produced against one form of care support from other causes during a a virus may not work against a different form, pandemic. The picture here is rapidly developing, and hence a new influenza vaccine is developed but care and attention are needed.

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On 21 March, US President Donald Trump an Arizonan couple self-administered tweeted, “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & chloroquine phosphate, one dying within 24 AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a hours. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine real chance to be one of the biggest game are also themselves not perfect drugs, their changers in the history of medicine”, adding side effects making them inappropriate for later that chloroquine could also be effective. certain individuals. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are anti- malarials, also being used in certain autoimmune A randomised clinical trial is necessary to be conditions, whilst azithromycin is an antibiotic. sure of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine From where did Trump’s statements arise and and azithromycin, or any other treatment being are they true? In a laboratory setting, cell based considered, including drugs modulating immune studies have shown that hydroxychloroquine system function (tocilizumab, used in treating and chloroquine limit how SARS-CoV-2 infects rheumatoid arthritis) and convalescent plasma cells and this was followed by a study (which (using blood plasma from recovered patients gained intense media (and presumably Trump’s) that likely contains antibodies against SARS- attention) claiming that hydroxychloroquine and CoV-2). Although time is precious in dealing azithromycin cleared SARS-CoV-2 from the body with COVID-19, there is no reason to abandon more effectively than the hydroxychloroquine evidence-based medicine. alone, or no treatment. However, there are several caveats, including: – It was a very small study (42 patients). – Patients in treatment and control arms differed in many ways (e.g. age), which introduces confounding factors. – Analysis of SARS-CoV2 presence/absence was measured inconsistently across time and individuals. – 26 patients started on the combined hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin treatment, but data are only provided for 20; of the six who dropped out, one died and three were transferred to an intensive care unit – removing experimental outliers provides “good” results, but is not exactly robust analysis. – Submission and publication dates suggest that peer review of the article occurred within 24 hours…one co-author is, however, the journal’s editor. None of the above makes the potential findings regarding hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin wrong, but they certainly raise warning flags and should prevent leaders of nations making sweeping statements. Chloroquine phosphate is used to clean fish tanks, but is not the same as chloroquine – following Trump’s pronouncement,

22 Dr Anastasia Berg Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Research Fellow in Philosophy, looks at Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben’s critique of the COVID-19 pandemic

No doubt of it, the costs we are paying for the Agamben’s way of addressing the problem is

sake of reducing the spread of the pandemic are framed by a distinction between “bare life” – NO.3 ISSUE high. The question of the proportionality of the our biological survival – and something he holds response is not however a merely scientific one; in higher regard; call it social or ethical life. it is moral. And the answer is not obvious. ‘The first thing that the wave of panic that has paralysed the country obviously shows is that The Italian philosopher and cultural theorist our society no longer believes in anything but Giorgio Agamben has long served as a model bare life’, he observes. In our hysterical panic, of how philosophical reflection can help us exerting herculean efforts to avoid physical evaluate the moral implications of catastrophes harm, we have made ourselves vulnerable to of an order the mind can barely comprehend loss of a far higher order: sacrificing our work, – most famously the Holocaust. Agamben is friendships, extended families, religious rites perhaps best known for his thinking on so-called and political commitments. In this way, we might biopolitics and the effects and limits of sovereign preserve ourselves biologically, but we will have power. He recently raised a series of objections eliminated in the process anything that gives life to the draconian measures implemented across meaning, that makes it worth living. the world: the sacrifice, he insisted, is too much.

Image: Giorgio Agamben.

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Agamben is right that a life dedicated solely to our own biological survival is a human life in name only, and that voluntarily to choose such a life is not merely a personal sacrifice but a form of society-wide moral self-harm. But is this really what we are doing? There are of course those (the Florida Spring Breakers in the US, the Stereophonics fans in the UK) who have shown the moral heroism Agamben is calling for here, refusing to bow to the recommendations of the authorities. But are those of us who have, with heavy hearts, embraced the restrictions on our freedoms, merely aiming at our own biological survival? I don’t think so. In the middle of March, my fiancé and I cancelled our summer wedding. We did it so that our guests, including my partner’s high-risk father, might be able at some later date to attend safely the social celebration of our decision to tie our lives to one another’s. Agamben laments that we are sacrificing ‘social relationships, work, even friendships, affections, and religious and political convictions’ to ’the danger of getting sick’. But we are not making sacrifices for the sake of anyone’s mere survival. We sacrifice because sharing our joys and pains, efforts and leisure, with our loved ones – young and old, sick and healthy – is the very substance of these so-called ‘normal conditions of life’. ‘What is a society’, Agamben asks, ‘that has no value other than survival?’ Under certain circumstances, this is a good question; under these circumstances, it is a blind one. Is this the society Agamben believes he is living in? When this philosopher looks around him, does he truly see nothing but the fight for “bare life”? If so, Agamben’s “clarification” may be revealing in a way he hadn’t intended. We might think of it as a very lucid example of “bare theory”: the dressing up of outdated jargon as a form of courageous resistance to unreflecting moral dogma. Sometimes it is advisable to hold off on deploying the heavy theoretical machinery until one has looked around. If we are after wisdom about how to live today, we would be advised to look elsewhere.

24 New Fellows Dr Daniel Williams Stipendiary Early Career Research Fellow in Philosophy

Daniel completed his PhD in Philosophy at socially strategic, enabling individuals to achieve

Trinity Hall College, Cambridge, in 2018. Before a variety of social goals that are often in conflict NO.3 ISSUE that, he completed an undergraduate degree with epistemic goals such as truth and impartiality. in Philosophy at the University of Sussex in He is currently working on a book in which he 2014 and an MPhil in Philosophy at Darwin argues that this simple idea illuminates a large College, Cambridge, in 2015. From 2018 to and varied body of psychological phenomena, 2019 he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at including self-deception, confabulation, social the Centre for Philosophical Psychology at the conformity, confirmation bias, motivated University of Antwerp. cognition, ideological and religious beliefs, and more. Daniel’s research draws on recent advances in the psychological and social sciences to help Daniel also has research interests in a variety address highly theoretical and philosophical of other areas, including the philosophy questions about the mind. His doctoral thesis of psychiatry, the predictive limitations of outlined and defended a novel philosophical research in the social sciences, the risks and account of mental representation based on opportunities associated with developments recent developments in neuroscience and in artificial intelligence, and the tradition of machine learning as well as neglected insights philosophical pragmatism. from the tradition of cybernetics. You can find out more about his research His current research develops the idea that many and see a list of his publications here: www. putative examples of human irrationality are danwilliamsphilosophy.com

25 Observations from the past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, shares the signs of an impending plague in medieval times

Parker Library manuscript 521 came to Corpus in the seventeenth century from the abandoned Brigittine monastery of Elbing (now Eblag in Poland). The manuscript itself is a fifteenth- century compilation of pieces dating from the 1380s onwards, including, at the end of the manuscript, a short piece titled De signis pestilencie: ‘Concerning the Signs of the Plague’. There are, according to this work, ten signs of impending plague: 1. Bad conjugation of planets 2. Comets and falling stars 3. Westerly or southerly winds 4. A cloudy and wet summer 5. Unusual variations of temperature 6. Hot days and cold nights 7. Increased numbers of frogs, toads, mice and fleas 8. Animals leaving their holes in the ground 9. Birds leaving their nests 10. Unseasonable weather

Image: The signs of the plague (CCCC ms 521, f. 176v). The author of our tract was actually knowledgeable about these matters and the list is informed by a number of earlier texts. In the 1340s, Islamic scholars had written that flocks of birds preceded outbreaks. In 1348, the Faculty of Medicine at Paris had identified unusual conjunctions of the planets as the first cause: there had been a triple conjunction of Jupiter, which drew up hot wet vapours from the earth, together with hot Mars, which had then ignited those vapours creating poisonous fumes. Finally, cold Saturn had turned those fumes into fogs and cloud which had then hovered around the

26 earth. Since this had taken place in Aquarius, the Like other prophetic tracts in this manuscript effects had been intensified, and the seasons – which attempt to draw together information disrupted: summer had been too wet and cold, on the possible signs of the end of the world – autumn had been too wet and warm, and winter this was meant to be a practical guide. When it continued warmer than usual. The weather had was recorded here, plague was still circulating in been very changeable and the poisonous mists Europe, and people wanted warning of its arrival. had resulted in increases of frogs and in the Odd as some of these signs may seem to us deaths of other animals. Although no comets now, they were based on observed correlations were observed during the early outbreaks of between the natural world and outbreaks of the plague, in later outbreaks they were often disease, interpreted through the paradigms NO.3 ISSUE blamed for damaging the atmosphere, of which of the bodily humours and of astrology, which the writer of our tract is aware too. underpinned medical science of the day.

27 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 4: 30 April 2020

Editorial Professor Christopher Kelly The Master

The University is shuttered. The College courts (not too far away) the core of the collegiate are empty. The sun still shines, eager to tease us experience will return. In the meanwhile we out of our self-isolation. But there is no place for should congratulate and support our students us in the sun (unless taking our daily exercise). as they continue to push forward with their And the world has changed – in ways we might studies – and perhaps especially those in their never have thought possible – in the short final year deprived of the rigour of examinations space of six weeks. This small collegiate world (so not then an utter disaster), the Lucullan has been turned upside down. It is Easter Full delights of May Week and the applause of Term and our students are still at home. They graduation. are working as hard as ever; adapting to the régime of distance learning, Zoom supervisions Our students are a resourceful and resilient and virtual meeting with their tutors. What has group with all the high hopes and proper seemingly dissolved is that extraordinary face- ambitions of youth. Their drive for academic to-face community (in Hall, in the Pelican Bar, in excellence was brilliantly captured last week Chapel, in a one-to-one supervision, in a class by this College’s remarkable success on or a seminar) – or at least it has been displaced. University Challenge. Was I the only person in the (virtual) room who thought this was an This week I joined the first of a series of Zoom unfair contest? Imperial College London has seminars for Corpus classicists (Fellows, ten thousand undergraduates – so comfortably postgraduates and undergraduates). One of thirty times the size of Corpus. That puts our our finalists read an excellent paper from his splendid achievement in proper perspective. It Part II thesis (on the first-person voice in Latin was a moment to cheer on the College; it was lyric poetry). Of course it was frustrating – video a moment to cheer us all up. It was a moment conferencing holds out the promise of real live to be unashamedly proud of being part of our face-to-face communication without it ever shared endeavour. It was a moment to remind being realised. The experience is somehow us – even in these long and tedious days – that hollowed out. More important than these petty this College does indeed deserve a place in the dislikes, what struck me was how quickly and sun. how well our students had adapted to exploit the best of this opportunity. Distance learning is no substitute for the real thing – and one day

28 News from the College Dr Michael Sutherland Tutor for Undergraduate Admissions and College Teaching Officer in Physics

For Cambridge offer-holders, the month of from the EU or overseas countries. At Corpus August is usually filled with nervous anticipation, we are watching the situation very closely, as exam boards across the UK get set to release and are able to provide the latest advice and the results of the June examinations. For some, guidance to our understandably anxious offer- there is disappointment when grades fall just holders. As I see it, one unavoidable outcome shy of their offers. For others, there is relief and of this situation is that the incoming cohort will a sense of pride when offers are met, and the likely benefit from additional help in adjusting path is clear to matriculation in October. to the rigors of university, and here there is ISSUE NO.4 ISSUE cause for optimism. The robust teaching and The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted tutorial support network implicit in the tightly education at all levels here in the UK and woven Corpus community is ideally placed to internationally. As a result, many students assist these students. Our Bridging Course, will not be sitting formal school examinations which is designed to provide three weeks of this year, and A-level and other grades will be individualised preparatory teaching to students awarded on the basis of internal assessments from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and the predictions of teachers and schools. is a perfect example of this. We intend to run This presents new challenges for Corpus and for this as planned in September, either in person higher education providers across the country. or remotely with the aim of helping students to start their university careers with confidence. Looking ahead to future applicants, I am struck by how quickly my Corpus colleagues have adjusted to the use of new technologies to deliver our outreach programmes. Our Schools Liaison Officer, Will Moorfoot, has, for instance, opened up a hugely popular booking system for year 12 students to have online consultations about their university applications. Other Fellows have arranged to deliver remote taster lectures for prospective applicants, or record videos of At Cambridge, we have rightly taken the decision themselves giving advice. that all grades awarded in August will be treated in the normal way, and students who meet the Like any organisation that measures its lifespan conditions of their offer will be accepted to the in centuries, one of the strengths of Corpus is the University as usual. It is difficult however to ability of its members to respond to change and predict with certainty how this will play out. For to adjust to new ways of carrying out our core UK students, there may be a greater (or smaller) missions of education and research. I remain number achieving their offers than anticipated. confident that we will be able to greet our new For international students, there may still be undergraduate and postgraduate students in barriers to travel in the autumn preventing them the coming academic year with the high quality from studying in the UK, a particular worry for the teaching and support networks for which we 60% of our postgraduate students who come are known.

29 Reflections from the Fellowship Professor Christopher Hann Fellow in Social Anthropology and Director of the Max Plank Institute for Social Anthropology, reflects on the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic Arcane academic debates (in my case in economic interventions, perhaps neoliberal free market dogmas anthropology) are sometimes overwhelmed by real- would be rejected once and for all? If competent world events that grip the researcher as a political political management by the coalition government citizen, and perhaps even personally, emotionally. This in Germany undermines extremist critics, perhaps happened to me at the end of the last century with populists elsewhere would be similarly starved of their the collapse of Soviet socialism, and again in recent oxygen? years with global financial collapse and the European “migration crisis” of 2015. The coronavirus of 2019 A few weeks later, I have become more pessimistic. continues this series. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán is continuing to undermine parliamentary democracy and playing sordid games I flew Ryanair from Stansted to Berlin on 10th March to discredit the opposition (try imagining Boris and have been unable to return. The Max Planck Johnson attacking the Mayor of London for the deadly Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle (one hour spread of the virus in an old persons’ home for which south of the capital) has been my vantage point the city is responsible). Not that those leading the UK to observe surreal sequences of events, locally and or the US responses have distinguished themselves around the world. Most of our staff are in “home office” through their crisis management. Yet, in what but I am able to work almost normally in my office. Germans are calling die Stunde der Exekutive, even We subscribe to the international edition of the New the ratings of incompetent, narcissistic leaders appear York Times, which I read while eating my sandwiches to be rising. The rancour of the Brexit debates is giving at lunchtime (observing social distance, of course). way to inclusive rhetoric invoking the spirit of the Blitz. The coverage and analysis of the NYT complement The stock markets are already recovering. How quickly what I glean from the BBC and the German media. can labour markets follow? Will the improvements of Most evenings (with the help of a satellite dish on our decades in working hours and workers’ protection balcony) my wife and I watch the news on Hungarian now be jettisoned for the sake of accelerating the state television. economic recovery? Small steps to avert global ecological devastation are already being reversed, In an earlier blogpost, reflecting on pan-Eurasian because they conflict with the interests of powerful dimensions of the pandemic and perhaps clinging transnational corporations. irrationally to the banality that every crisis should harbour opportunities for creative renewal, I tried to I would like to be proved wrong but, writing these lines be optimistic. I speculated that, following macabre at Easter, I now find it hard to believe in silver linings. statistical analysis, we can surely look forward to conclusive proof of the superiority of well funded welfare states, compared with countries lacking universal health care. Economists would concede the merits of public furlough programmes, when compared with the scale of instantaneous layoffs and social polarisation in the world’s largest economy. If capitalism can only be saved (again) by massive state

30 Alumni Perspective Emily Jordan Corpus alumna and start-up founder, has launched Ancora.ai to address the Coronavirus pandemic by connecting COVID-19 clinical trials to participants I left Cambridge in 2012, leaving the academic Currently, more than 320 COVID-19 trials are live on stresses of my laboratory studies behind for an Ancora.ai and trial data is updated on a daily basis. entirely different set of challenges working in the digital health start-up world. My entrepreneurial Of the clinical trials for therapeutics and vaccines, ambitions were realised in 2019 when I cofounded 82% are for treatments already approved and on a company, Intrepida, with two former colleagues. the market for other diseases. These have a history We focus on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to of safety data behind them and are likely to be approved faster for COVID-19 compared with other address problems in healthcare. We built a product NO.4 ISSUE called Ancora.ai to help patients search for and treatments in development. You can register for free connect to clinical trials, and very shortly before our at www.ancora.ai to search for and connect to these first launch for oncology patients, the Coronavirus trials, as a patient or a healthy volunteer, and could pandemic occurred. gain early access to innovative treatments and new vaccines for COVID-19. The pandemic has brought many disappointments and challenges for start-ups. Pitch events and For more information, please visit: https://www. venture capital fundraising opportunities were intrepid-analytics.com/ and https://www.ancora. cancelled or put on hold, and the clinical studies ai/ Emily Jordan (PhD alumna, 2009–2012, sponsored by our target customers were paused. Neuroscience) is the COO of Intrepida, a health However, we also quickly realised that our product tech company focused on building technology met a key need in the Coronavirus crisis and that we solutions for healthcare, specifically using Artificial could help, which has been extremely motivating in Intelligence (AI). Emily graduated from Columbia such an unsettling time. University and then earned her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Since the start of the pandemic, many COVID-19 Scholar. clinical trials have commenced around the world. The pace is increasing: Intrepida has tracked a 389% increase in the number of new trials initiated in the past two weeks. These COVID-19 clinical trials immediately need to recruit more than 415,000 participants to be fully enrolled. Healthcare systems are overwhelmed due to the pandemic and most institutions have little spare time or resource to devote to recruiting for and conducting clinical trials. However, clinical trials represent the most effective way to generate scientific evidence on prospective testing, treatment and prevention strategies to combat the pandemic. Ancora.ai supports trial recruitment and can help facilitate clinical research during this challenging time, so we worked tirelessly over several weeks to update our algorithms, originally designed for oncology, to support COVID-19 trial matching for patients and healthy volunteers.

31 New Fellows Dr Han Yu Non-Stipendiary Early-Career Research Fellow in Mathematics

Han is a postdoctoral research associate at Han’s research mainly focuses on pure the Department of Pure Mathematics and mathematics, more specifically, Fractal Geometry, Mathematical Statistics. He completed a BA Dynamical Systems as well as Number Theory. in Optical Engineering at Zhejiang University, To relax, Han enjoys reading story books on Hangzhou and then a MSc in Theoretical and Harmonic Analysis, Probability Theory and Mathematical Physics at Ludwig-Maximilian Combinatorics (together with Jazz or traditional University, Munich. From 2016–2019, he was Chinese music). Outside of mathematics, Han is an a PhD student in pure mathematics with Dr unskilled pianist, painter and BADminton player. Jonathan Fraser at the University of St Andrews.

32 Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, shares fourteenth-century reflections on healing the sick

Parker manuscript 218 Le Livre de Seintes surprisingly, then, his descriptions of physical Medicines, a late fourteenth-century volume, sickness reflect experience of the disease. is the earliest surviving Anglo-Norman treatise We learn that goat’s milk drunk in May was known to have been written by a layman. considered efficacious, on the grounds that That layman was Henry first duke of Lancaster the vegetation eaten by goats in May had (c.1310 – 23 March 1361) who applied to absorbed the goodness of the sun, which Edward III, on behalf of the guilds of Mary the could be passed on to the sick. Warm rose ISSUE NO.4 ISSUE Virgin and Corpus Christi, for permission to water was used to refresh those with fevers found the new college. (although, presumably only those who were rich, like Henry) and, if a fever got worse, the It is a devotional text in which sickness of still bleeding body of a freshly-killed cock the body is compared to sickness of the might be placed on a patient’s head. soul: Christ, as doctor, heals the senses from infection. When Henry wrote this work in 1354, In particular, Henry describes the use of plague was a familiar visitor to England (in ‘triacle’ – a medicine made of poison, used fact, Henry died of plague himself in 1361). Not to drive out the other poison of infection.

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‘If a man is poisoned, he has to get some medicine or else he is doomed to die quickly. And nothing is so good for him as triacle. This triacle is made and tempered with the strongest venom one can find anywhere. And, if it is stronger than the venom within the man, it expels that venom through its strength and virtue, and so the man is cured and does not die. But if the venom in the man is particularly potent and pernicious and has lingered in him for a long time, then the triacle cannot help and the man is made worse by it. For if one venom cannot expel the other, they will unite to destroy and kill the man.’ Henry tells us that this perilous medicine is made by smothering a scorpion so it disgorges its venom. In fact, we know from other sources, that it was usually made from the mashed flesh of snakes – rather cheaper and easier to obtain than scorpion venom. This process, he says, is like the war between good and evil fighting with each other in the human soul. Triacle is like the traps of the devil. These temptations can have a good Images: CCCC ms 218, f. 1v. The opening of Le result for the sick soul if they make a person Livre de Seintes Medicines. turn to God for help. On the other hand, if the temptations are strong and spiritual sickness has gone untreated for too long, they may lead to the destruction of the soul. There was always a tendency in the medieval mind to try and find direct, causal links between natural occurrences, particularly those that caused human suffering and death, and internal spiritual states. Earthquakes, floods, droughts and plague were commonly explained as a result of human sin. In Henry’s treatise we can see how a devout individual was able to transform his own experience of physical illness and contemporary medicine into a powerful allegory about the health and wellbeing of people’s souls.

34 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 5: 11 May 2020

Editorial Professor Christopher Howe Professor of Plant and Microbial Biochemistry, President and Director of Studies in Preclinical Medicine

As the Master commented in his Editorial with just a few Fellows at High Table, or a in the last issue, our world has changed in busy weekday lunch with people coming a way that for most of us would have been and going. Welcoming Old Members back to unbelievable two months ago. The strength dinner in their College is another vital part of the College in the face of that change has of that communal eating, so it was a great been truly impressive. Inevitably, one core disappointment that we inevitably had to element of our life as a community, and cancel April’s Beldam Dinner. The next few one that is particularly important to me as weeks will tell if we can hold any kind of President, has been suspended for the time MacCurdy Dinner in September. (We keep being. That is the act of eating together. things under review and will let you know William Wilkins, as architect of New Court, as soon as we can.) We plan to adjust the regarded the Library, the Chapel and the yearly schedule for the dinners as needed so Hall as the essential features of a College. no year groups miss out. The purpose of the College, as defined The current situation leaves me with even in our Statutes as the ‘advancement of greater respect, admiration and gratitude for education, research, learning and religion’ our Founders. Coming through a time that and represented by the Library and the was surely even more terrifying than ours, Chapel goes on, although in ways that our their faith in the future was remarkable. In Founders could never have imagined. (If time, some kind of real, rather than virtual, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, had simply emailed community life will return for us, and we the King to seek a licence for the foundation will share again in the privilege of eating of the College, things might have turned together. I particularly look forward to out less well.) Eating together, however, seeing our Old Members back with us to join is very different. We may meet each other in that part of our life. Meanwhile, wherever over Zoom for a cup of coffee and a chat, in the world and under whatever conditions or maybe even a meal, but it’s not the same of lockdown you are, I hope you and your as a full and lively Hall on a Sunday after loved ones stay safe. Choral Evensong, a quiet Monday evening

35 News from the College Dr John David Rhodes Reader in Film Studies and Visual Culture, Warden of Leckhampton and Director of Studies in Modern & Medieval Languages

I left Cambridge on 13 March. I had planned I planned to come back to Cambridge on to leave it for a long-planned, and rather Monday for another few meetings, and then complicated trip to the US that was going to make a more considered decision about include giving a paper at a large academic which books and which clothes to take back conference in Denver, examining a doctoral to Brighton for the Easter vacation. Across that thesis in Montreal, doing some work in an weekend, however, the public mood shifted archive in Los Angeles and making a quick as did my own, and by Monday it seemed ill- visit to see my parents in Louisiana. But by 10 advised to continue taking public transport. I March, it became clear that international travel spoke to Marina Frasca-Spada, the Senior Tutor, was imprudent. Instead, on the 13 March, I had who said there was no point and no wisdom in a meeting at the Fitzwilliam Museum about a returning to Cambridge for the time being. I show I am curating for 2024, then grabbed a have been here in Brighton ever since. few things from my flat at Leckhampton, and Most of our postgraduate students decided, for jumped on a train to Brighton, where I live many different reasons, to leave Leckhampton, (when not in Cambridge) with my partner, to return ‘home’, even though ‘home’ means another academic, in our flat on the seafront. many things to people. For some members

36 of the MCR, however, Leckhampton is home: there is no other obvious or better place for them to ride this out. For these students – they are about fifty in number – Leckhampton’s storied idyll of pastoral isolation has taken on a rather different resonance of late. I know what has been going on in Leckhampton from phone conversations with those still resident and from weekly Zoom meetings with the MCR Committee and others. (Zoom, by the way, is a technology that most of us had never heard of eight weeks ago but which now dominates and mediates our waking lives). The conversations have addressed – honestly and collaboratively – the anxieties of locking down, often in a small single room, stranded in the spookily semi-deserted domain of Leckhampton’s several acres. Timothy Ekeh, the Leck Soc Secretary, has kept the Leckhampton in Leckhampton’s prairie-like expanse, or be Society gatherings going via Zoom. Helen

able to take my daily dip in our notoriously NO.5 ISSUE McGowan, the MCR Secretary, sends at the frigid pool at the bottom of the garden. What beginning of each week a calendar of the is happening everywhere around us – death distant or virtual activities for the upcoming and suffering and the heroic efforts to thwart days: virtual formal hall (in gowns, even), them – is so grave, in part, precisely because virtual Welfare Tea, movie nights (the movies of the way in which death deprives us of the in question watched simultaneously if apart) small pleasures and practices that make up a and so on. None of these things, however, life, that make up life itself. The bravely modest makes up for our physical presence to one attempts to keep things going at Leckhampton another. What Hannah Arendt calls the ‘web demonstrate a confidence in the value of that of human relationships’ cannot quite be fully life, and a willingness to continue inventing constituted by the grids of human faces that and reinventing its rituals and pleasures during necessarily substitute themselves for our being and – we pray – after the trial of the present together in a time of crisis. But the ingenuity moment. I am not, by nature, an optimist, but of these virtual, mediated, distant and I enjoy doing what I do, what we do – that distancing meetings and ‘hang outs’ testify to is, I enjoy participating in the life modelled the longing for the life together – as scholars, by Corpus and by the University: a life of thinkers, comrades, colleagues and friends – writing, making, inventing, thinking, talking, that animates the very idea of a college or a disagreeing, eating together, coming and university, like Corpus, like Cambridge. going, etc., etc. All of this will be somewhat I miss our community at Corpus: talking different in the time ahead, I suppose, and political theory or talking movies at lunch; maybe some things we are learning right now supervising my students on aesthetic theory will not necessarily make them better, but will in a room overlooking Old Court. Even more make them seem all the more important when frivolously, given that it is the Easter Term, I we meet again in the radical physical proximity resent that I will not see the lupins come up that we once took for granted but that we now know is so precious.

37 Reflections from the Fellowship Dr Paul Kattuman Reader in Economics, Fellow and Director of Studies in Management, discusses the Judge Business School’s work with the NHS and Public Health on the pandemic

All through February I nursed a lament that the has been on the East of England region with its Lent Term was far too frantic. It was, it turns population of 6.5 million. out, idyllic! My particular focus over the last five weeks As the pandemic gathered strength, the has been on generating daily forecasts of health systems research centre at Judge the expected demand across the region, for Business School decided to rest some research care pathway resources such as ICU beds and programmes and reach out to the NHS and mechanical ventilators, looking up to two Public Health England, offering help with the weeks ahead. Randomness is inherent in data extensive analysis that would evidently be of this type, with sharp day to day changes, required. I have no specialist knowledge of the and the purpose of time series modelling is systems and processes in healthcare delivery, to uncover the evolving trend. From early on, but as an applied econometrician I was very the challenging question posed by public happy to segue into this initiative. Our focus health managers concerned the timing and

Image: System Dynamics model projections on April 20 2020 of the immediate future daily demand for hospital beds dedicated to COVID19 in the region.

38 the amplitude of the “peak”. The last time I was capacities of front line health care workers as even half as anxious about assessing when they confront the virus relentlessly, shift after a peak would arrive was decades ago while shift, day after day. trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. I am lucky to be working with an exceptional We use an ensemble of models to predict team of students and faculty, and collectively demand up to fourteen days ahead. Using a we are fortunate to be working, though combination of models, it has been possible far behind the frontline, with public health to offer reasonably accurate projections, professionals of extraordinary calibre and uncovering an initially exponential growth commitment. path which tempered into a pattern that is characteristic of epidemics. Happily I have had the benefit of frequent counsel from Professor Andrew Harvey, Life Fellow. Andrew pioneered a family of time series models that have become very useful for epidemic modelling. With the first peak negotiated, the policy focus is on the staged revival of the flagging economy. The policy challenge is of course to ensure that the NHS would be able to cope with the anticipated second peak. An epidemiologically NO.5 ISSUE based modelling approach has been brought on stream for this. This approach, which goes by the name of System Dynamics, directly tracks the diffusion of the virus through the susceptible population, and has been used with success to trace and understand all major epidemics in the recent decades. I had come to study System Dynamics a few years ago in order to understand the diffusion of innovations – it turns out that the diffusion of an infectious disease through a population has many structural elements in common with the diffusion of an innovation through a population of potential adopters. I had no idea then of how this modelling approach would come to be so useful in practical, day-to-day, sense. Its advantage lies in its ability to go beyond delivering projections, to address counterfactual questions related to aspects of easing the lock-down. The variables that are increasingly important to assess, as the NHS looks ahead, go beyond the hardware of ICU beds and ventilators, to the stretched

39 Student Voices Helen Magowan MCR Secretary and first-year PhD student in Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, describes what life is like at Leckhampton under the lockdown in conversation with Liz Winter

‘The silence is unexpected. You can hear the birds and very strong sense of community that is singing in a way you never could before. And the such a part of life here; anyone who has lived at streets are so empty and peaceful I am seeing Leckhampton will recognise that. But at least we Cambridge in a new way.’ Helen Magowan, first- still have a sense of being together even if we can’t year PhD student in Japanese studies and MCR do things we used to do.’ Secretary, remains in residence at Leckhampton along with about 50 other graduate students. The support they have had from the Warden and Although perhaps less has changed for graduate the Senior Tutor and her tutorial team, has made an students than for undergraduates since they enormous difference. ‘They made huge efforts to live in throughout the year, those remaining are reassure everyone and help us sort out problems. now fractured into small groups for safety and One of the best things about all this is the way I’ve obedience to the COVID-19 regulations and that got to know people I wouldn’t have otherwise, has had the effect of dividing up the community and I really appreciate that.’ The situation, despite they usually enjoy. ‘It’s very different,’ she explains. its challenges and the loneliness caused by ‘We formed ourselves into small ‘households’ so as isolation, has revealed some unexpected benefits: few people as possible have to share a bathroom ‘The vegetable patch was completely abandoned, or kitchen, and we don’t use the communal areas but now it’s been dug over and planted, and at all.’ Despite this, the sense of support is strong. different people have their own beds. It’s thriving ‘We stay in touch, keep an eye on one another – we’ve run out of space and need to expand’. and if someone needs some shopping or help, we The graduate community has had to develop provide it quickly. This experience has had both new levels of creativity to maintain the sense of the effect of splitting us up physically and bonding togetherness and Helen has been instrumental us together emotionally.’ in organising social events remotely. ‘We had an online formal last week on Zoom,’ she says. ‘We Helen, whose PhD is on seventeenth-century set our background images to pictures of Hall Japanese women’s calligraphy, finds the great and wore gowns; some people dressed up, and redeeming feature of living at Leckhampton in everyone cooked two courses. We found a video these dystopian times to be the outside space. ‘I of the gong being struck and played that. It was walk through the garden daily,’ she says. ‘I always hilarious and the couple of hours of fellowship and loved it but now I really notice it and enjoy the fun in the middle of such a difficult time made our gradual changes. The tulips, then bluebells, then formal feel very special.’ apple blossom, and now lilac. It is an excellent way to shake off the stress we all experience.’ At first, she explains, the students were worried about what would happen and the uncertainty was hard to deal with. But the College was quick to reassure them they could stay in residence and would be supported by the Fellows and staff and now, she observes, people are largely settled and focused on their work. ‘We all miss the normal socialising

40 Reflections from the Staff Simon Harding Head Porter, reflects on the current environment at Corpus in conversation with Liz Winter

‘When I walk around the College it feels like the Inspector. He did a year at Trinity Hall as world has stood still. Even the Chronophage deputy head porter and then took up his role stopped this morning.’ Simon Harding, Head at Corpus. ‘I’ve always lived in Cambridge or Porter, is reflective as he describes his daily nearby and when I retired from the police I routine during the shutdown. ‘We only have eight wanted something that used my skills, was undergraduates in residence at the moment, and local, interesting and worthwhile. This fits the fifty postgraduates at Leckhampton, so most of bill on all fronts (though I don’t expect to do any the rooms are empty but we still have to check detecting, I hasten to add).’ But people skills, them.’ The checking part is easy, but there is an good oversight of buildings and their operation, eerie feeling when he opens a door and sees the keeping a vigilant eye out for potential problems personal possessions still in the rooms. ‘It feels and perhaps most important of all, the ability a bit like the Marie Celeste…. the occupants to make decisions on the spot if necessary to left unexpectedly and we are waiting for them avoid problems escalating are all essential

to come back.’ Simon remains on duty along components in a head porter’s job description NO.5 ISSUE with most of his colleagues, providing round the and Simon thrives on them. ‘I’ve really enjoyed clock coverage between them for the College my year at Corpus,’ he declares. ‘Obviously this sites and the few occupants who remain. There’s is a very unusual situation and I do miss the buzz plenty to do; apart from manning the Porters’ of the students, Fellows and staff being around. Lodge and checking the buildings, they help But there are some compensating factors; it’s the maintenance team with the regular process very peaceful, and you can hear sounds you required to prevent Legionella by running the wouldn’t normally hear, like birds singing. I’ve water supplies. It’s also part of their duty to got used to the sound of no traffic….and it’s make sure fire safety equipment is working and very nice to be able to park easily at Newnham they deal with the post and administration that House. I will miss that when everyone comes comes through the Porters’ Lodge. back. But I won’t miss the emptiness. It will be good when people return and life goes back Simon came to the College after a long career to normal.’ in the police force where he was a Detective

41 Pelican Poets and Writers Society Catherine Olver (m 2011) alumna and current PhD candidate at Clare College in Children’s and Adolescent Literature, writes about how the Pelican Poets and Writers Society brings the international Corpus community together through weekly studies on poetry and prose

The Pelican Poets and Writers Society is adventure,” as she explains in the introduction airborne again, Zooming through the clouds to If Not, Winter. After musing on the and down ethernet cables with poems and depersonalisation of consciousness in Virginia prose in its beak. Naturally, we miss the Woolf’s The Waves, we were struck by the bleak convivial spirit of D4’s comfortable sofas, but but determined vitality in e e cummings’ ‘what our virtual meetings have thrown open the if a much of a which of a wind’. The poem ends doors of sociability to the alumni who have with the thought-provoking line “the most flocked to join us. It is remarkable to hear the who die, the more we live.” familiar voices of Pelicans from across the We look forward to the next session (Tuesday society’s foundation in 2009 mixing together 19 May, 8-9pm) on the intersection of writing in discussion even when their wingspans at with visual art and beyond that to considering Corpus didn’t overlap. how generational crisis manifests in writing (2 Elizabeth Stephan (Teacher Fellow, 1996) led June), before concluding the term with poetry our opening meeting on ‘Time’, which has and prose written by our own members (16 been moving strangely during lockdown. June). New attendees are warmly welcomed We debated the apocalypticism of the “red for any meetings that appeal; if you would like wing” rising at dawn in Czesław Miłosz’s to be sent the readings and Zoom link, please Encounter and savoured the recording of the email Catherine at [email protected] author reading his work, before enjoying the colloquial repetitions of Seamus Heaney’s Postscript and puzzling over who is guilty of Decades of Arrogance in Emily Dickinson’s A Clock Stopped: the humanlike clock or the godlike man repairing it? To finish, Elizabeth contextualised T S Eliot’s Burnt Norton by revealing that Eliot’s love letters to Emily Hale, the woman with whom he walks the garden, were opened only this year. Defying time zones, Elena Kazamia (m 2004) led our second meeting, on ‘Beauty in Absence,’ from California. Opinions were divided on Anne Carson’s Sappho translations, which employ square brackets to convey “the drama of trying Image: A pre-lockdown meeting of the Society. to read a papyrus torn in half or riddled with holes” and to “imply a free space of imaginal

42 Delivering the Parker Sermons virtually The Revd Dr Andrew Davison Dean of Chapel, Fellow in Theology and Starbridge (University) Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences explains how technology enables him to deliver the Norfolk Course this year

The will of Matthew Parker is a cunningly Dean of Chapel. (I preached the Norfolk Course devised thing. Although he thought that his once before, in 2007.) College, where Parker (1504–1575) had been As with College and Faculty work, the use a student and later Master (1544–1553), was of video links in church takes some getting a more stable recipient of his extraordinary used to as the default way of working, but the collection of manuscripts than either the technology has proved to be there when it Church or Crown, his bequest nonetheless was needed. For Chapel Compline and Sunday placed the College under strictures: his famous evening prayer, I have been gathering a group audit, whereby everything is forfeited if more on Zoom, and livestreaming it to FaceBook NO.5 ISSUE than a certain number of manuscripts or books Live. Information is on Twitter. are lost. Less well known is that he also required the College to arrange for four sermons to be Nationally, initial research suggests rather preached each year: the ‘Parker Sermons’ or – an extraordinary level of participation in because of their location –the ‘Norfolk Course’. communal prayer and worship mediated The cycle runs back to the sixteenth century. online, not least among younger people, This year, it is part-suspended, and part online. although that will certainly be the study of many a valuable PhD in the years ahead. Of Two sermons are delivered in Norwich, one at course, not everyone has easy access to the the cathedral and one at St Clement’s, where internet. At a local level, clergy are mailing a prayer is said for Parker’s parents at their out weekly service booklets to parishioners tomb. These were to be given by the priest and without a computer, and last month saw the celebrated librettist Alice Goodman, rector of launch of a national telephone service (Daily Fulbourn and the Wilbrahams (Corpus being Hope) to allow people to join in the daily the patron of Little Wilbraham). If I can travel prayer of the church without a computer. to Norwich in the year ahead, I will make sure that the prayer is said at the graveside, in Online services are not the whole story, Alice’s stead. however, although they get most coverage on social media. Churches are joining others in As far as I know, a history of the Parker Sermons providing food banks and homeless shelters. remains to be written, so I cannot say if there In the Church of England alone, a survey have been other intermissions, for plague or from two years ago counted 33,000 social war. Parker’s Sermons have definitely not been projects. Last term, chapel collections went to delivered over video before now, as they will on Cambridge City Foodbank: not particularly a 17 May, ‘in’ Thetford and Mattishall. I will be the church charity, although it does have Rowan preacher, and it will be a welcome opportunity Williams as its patron. for me to get to know these parishes again as

43 PELICAN in BRIEF

So, in 2020, despite half the Norfolk Course into account, and the oddness of those being suspended, and the other half taking circumstances, and an attempt to work within place over a video link, I hope we satisfy them, will serve only to strengthen, I hope, the our obligation under Parker’s will. English historic links of the College to a Norfolk town law is quite good at taking circumstances and village.

Image: Matthew Parker (1504 – 1575).

44 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 6: 21 May 2020 Issue 6 : 21 May 2020

Editorial Professor Emma Wilson Vice-Master, Professor of French Literature and the Visual Arts, College Tutor and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages

My strongest memory of March 2020 is of being I’ve stayed in Cambridge with my partner Ioana, on the phone with students. One working still closely following what has been happening on Latin-American materials had arrived in France and Italy where we have ties. I’ve been in Argentina just a week previously. From watching cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton perform quarantine, he made arrangements to take a each day from her flat in Paris. In the New Yorker, flight to Brazil, and on from there to the UK. Maggie Nelson’s account of the justness of Natalia He had the shortest chance to explore Bueños Ginzburg’s writing for these times particularly Aires. Then there were conversations with our struck home. I’ve been wondering whether the international students who had travelled long European literature I teach is offering students distances home to Poland, Romania, Singapore, resources as they live this era. It seems apt that Canada, New Zealand. The College nurse, and they have already thought about humanity in tutorial team, gave them invaluable advice Camus’ The Plague, and about Marguerite Duras’ about staying safe in transit. The students’ ideas on destruction, on a new world order after maturity in facing all this, despite worry about trauma, in her wartime journals. Among the many their families, and then, once home, their losses now, a particular sadness has come with readiness to get back to revision for Tripos, the COVID-related death of Hélène Châtelain, a have been awe-inspiring. documentary filmmaker, in Paris on 11 April 2020. Her face appears in Chris Marker’s short film La A handful of undergraduates have stayed in Jetée (1962), variously streaming currently, about Cambridge. One has kept a very beautiful an underground existence in Paris after WW3. illuminated plague diary, sharing its The time traveller hero cherishes an image of a watercolour images by mobile. Others have woman’s face, a memory that is ‘a tender moment enjoyed socially distanced conversations with to prop up the madness to come’. the porters, the chance to use New Court as a running circuit, and time for elaborate cooking. I have come to associate Corpus, the Old House, These are lonely days for all of us, something with momentous events and with the passing of I’ve felt even as someone who tends to self- time, the solar eclipse in 1999 which I watched isolate by temperament. I’m hoping so much from the New Court, the funeral of Oliver Rackham, that the one-to-one and small group teaching and the joyous christening of the Master’s new we do here, and the conversations that ensue, son, Augustus, so recently. The pandemic, its grip can give students some extra feeling of live and tragedy, and also its moments of reprieve connection. and consolation, now feels part of this history and narrative.

45 News from the College Dr Andrew Sanger University Lecturer in International Law, College Tutor and Director of Studies in Law

The supervision system is at the heart of being more attentive to facial expressions teaching and learning at Cambridge. The (now often closer and clearer); ensuring that best supervisions are creative, dynamic and everyone in a group takes part (avoiding enjoyable (for the supervisor – if not always monologue mode!); and thinking about how for the student!). In these extraordinary times, to communicate non-verbal cues and signals when we are scattered around the world and effectively when we are all shoehorned into largely confined to homes, how can we capture digital boxes. Teaching remotely is hardly an this personalised, face-to-face experience ideal substitute for being present in person but digitally?Screen supervisions are certainly when we eventually emerge from this strange different and can sometimes be difficult. For world into another, perhaps more familiar one, some, they are too distant and impersonal there is the promise that our senses will have (simulating life is no substitute for the real been heightened and we will have become thing); but for others, they are an awkward better communicators. intrusion of study life into a private space. For Where does that leave research? Admittedly, me, I miss the easy give-and-take that comes it has been a challenge to find sufficient time with a small group comfortable with discussing and space. If international law is responsible in ideas with one another: the quick laugh, the part for the harmful impacts of globalisation interjected joke, the subtle signal, and the and for deep structural inequality, then it can moments of relief when a point has landed also facilitate human kindness and it can be a or a comment has been clearly received. This place for hope and aspiration. The COVID crisis warm rhythm of human interaction can easily underscores the reality that we are all intimately suffer from technological limitations, resulting connected, but it also brings into sharp relief in delayed and staccato conversions. Screen the inequalities created by that connection conversations can sometimes be draining, not and the urgent need for global cooperation. everyone has access to the same technology Before the lockdown, I was working on a and differential circumstances mean that project that explores the challenges faced some face greater challenges than others. Yet by democracies in addressing the spread there are lighter moments too – a comically of disinformation on digital platforms. The frozen face, an accidentally forgotten ‘mute’ or crisis has exemplified these challenges and a rogue household member wandering across heightened the need to find solutions that the screen. remove or suppress dangerous information There are other positives and useful lessons to while still protecting the democratisation of be learned from the digital format. One is that expression that decentralised control over we find ourselves thinking more critically about content has brought. Borders may largely be how we communicate and how we are received. shut now but we are likely to emerge evermore In some ways, the Socratic method translates connected. So the question remains: how do relatively well to screen supervisions, but it is we ensure that this connection serves us all, more than just asking questions; it is also about equally, now and in the future? reading the response. For teaching, this means

46 Reflections from the Fellowship Professor John Carr Vice-President, Professor of Plant Virology, Tutor and Director of Studies in Biology, discusses the interaction of viruses and their impact on humans

What is SARS-CoV-2? Viruses are parasites human coronaviruses rarely engender serious that only reproduce inside suitable host complications like pneumonia. The research cells. The severe acute respiratory syndrome- unit was closed in 1990 to save money and coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible because of the perceived difficulty of curing for the pandemic of coronavirus disease 40 different ‘cold’ viruses. Human coronavirus discovered in 2019 (COVID-19), is in several research languished until SARS-CoV emerged ways a typical animal-infecting virus. For in Guangzhou, China in 2003, and the 2012 example, SARS-CoV-2’s genetic material is a appearance of Middle East respiratory single strand of RNA (in contrast to human syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi genetic material, double-stranded DNA), Arabia. SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV spread and each RNA molecule is protected within to other countries but both appear to be a virus particle or ‘virion’. SARS-CoV-2’s virion controlled. This is fortunate; SARS-CoV and comprises one genomic RNA molecule, a lipid MERS-CoV kill, respectively, 10 to 30 per cent envelope, and several ‘structural’ proteins. of patients. ‘Spike’ proteins project from virions, making them resemble old-fashioned naval mines. Coronavirus spikes bind ‘ACE2’, a protein occurring on the surfaces of cells lining the NO.6 ISSUE lung. Coincidentally, ACE2 regulates blood pressure and inflammation – suggesting a possible link to some COVID-19 symptoms. Spike-to-ACE2 attachment promotes entry of virions into host cells, and release of viral RNA. Coronavirus RNA directs infected cells to make viral structural proteins, a protein that reproduces viral RNA, and factors that subvert antiviral resistance (e.g. the interferon system). Other proteins over-stimulate inflammatory responses leading to fluid accumulation in the lungs and pneumonia. Most coronaviruses do not infect people but many cause serious diseases in domestic and wild animals. Human coronaviruses were discovered by the UK’s Common Cold Research Unit in the mid-‘60s and shown to be one of several virus families causing ‘colds’. Unlike many animal coronaviruses,

47 PELICAN in BRIEF

Can we prevent novel virus outbreaks? same receptor, ACE2, as SARS-CoV to attach Comparing RNA sequences between SARS- to host cells. The bat primary host species CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and other is unknown, as is the intermediate host that coronaviruses showed they are related to provided the transmission bridge between bat-infecting coronaviruses (Figure 1). The bats and humans. specific bat reservoir species for SARS-CoV-2 is unknown. No intermediate host has been confirmed, although it is probably one of the Image: Example of bat to human transmission of wild species sold for consumption at Wuhan’s coronaviruses. Huanan market during November 2019. China’s rapid sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 accelerated development of detection assays, therapeutics and (we hope) vaccines. But arguably, these technical solutions should never have been necessary. COVID-19’s emergence should not have surprised anyone and was, perhaps, avoidable. This century’s most lethal epidemics have been viral ‘zoonoses’ (diseases that jump from animals to humans): avian and pig influenzas, SARS and MERS, Ebola and Nipah. The influenzas arose in farming systems, the others from bat reservoirs. The earlier epidemics showed that natural habitat disruption, insanitary farming practice and bushmeat consumption all risk fostering novel zoonoses, and that our world’s interconnectedness easily converts local outbreaks into pandemics. The magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 catastrophe owes much to neglect of lessons provided by these previous twenty-first-century outbreaks. SAR-CoV present in horseshoe bats living in caves in Yunnan jumped to masked palm civets which acted as intermediate hosts for transfer of the virus to humans 2002–2003 who came into contact with civets transported 1600 km to Guangzhou. MERS-CoV jumped from bats to camels to man (first report in 2012) and although under control infects a few hundred human patients each year. SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, which has reached pandemic levels of spread. SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to bat-infecting coronaviruses and exploits the

48 Professor Karol Sikora (m1966) Honorary Fellow, looks at the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on cancer treatment and the NHS

I left Corpus in 1969 and have really enjoyed numbers are now thankfully dropping – we my career as an oncologist. It’s been varied and are through the pandemic. We need to turn on challenging. I’ve been a bit controversial and I the taps for cancer, cardiac and other serious know I’m like marmite – some like me, others illnesses which need urgent care. hate me. After five years as a young consultant And society, including schools and universities, at Addenbrookes, I became director of cancer needs to get going again. Hopefully by the time services at Hammersmith and Charing Cross you read this we will be there. Our government Hospitals – Imperial College. I’ve edited the has done its best but not entirely covered itself main postgraduate textbook Treatment of in glory. It failed on the provision of adequate Cancer for seven editions. I’m now 71 and protective clothing for NHS staff. It’s almost never been busier running a network of laughable in a Yes Minister sort of way. The proton treatment centres. So after 40 years, tragedy is that staff feel vulnerable – even the along comes a small piece of RNA with only cleaners in our hospitals are scared. It also failed 31,000 bases (the building blocks of our genes on testing both for the presence of the virus discovered by Watson and Crick in 1953 in the and the antibody to it that stays around after building behind Corpus on Free School Lane) infection – the footprint in the sand – Corona’s surrounded by the now familiar spikes and a calling card. Other countries did both much nice shiny coat. The coronavirus has affected

better and were better prepared. Operation NO.6 ISSUE us all. Markets have plummeted. International Cygnus was a secret pandemic preparedness borders are shut. Planes are empty. The world exercise carried out by the NHS in 2016. We has simply ground to a halt. All this caused by failed miserably in this, yet the results were the simplest of life forms. The philosophers never released. are in their element – why does it exist, was it created by God or man, does it have a soul? How is it all going to end? Well, I’m an optimist Why are they so quiet? It’s all fascinating so my view is that the swirling virus will just stuff. And SARS-CoV-2 has now been found to leave us alone now. The mass hysteria will contain HIV sequences – perhaps deliberately soon disappear and things will move on. inserted. Conspiracy theories abound. Even Heathrow will get painfully busy again. The shattered NHS and economy will slowly I’ve completely avoided social media until return to normal. But the post-COVID world a month ago when I was persuaded to will be different. Entrepreneurs will find open a Twitter account for the first time (@ ways of making more money, management profkarolsikora). It’s a strange medium but consultants will continue to borrow peoples compulsive. Now I know why everybody is watches and tell them the time, churches will glued to their phones on the train. I began be full again and cancer patients will restart tweeting messages about cancer patients not their treatment pathways. Maybe it will reset getting through the system. Both the NHS society in a very positive way. It’s strange but and the independent hospitals have been the pandemic may have brought us all much completely overtaken by COVID-19. But the closer together. I really hope so.

49 Dr Kai Ruggeri former Fellow in Psychological and Behavioural Science, discusses his global replication study in which Corpus undergraduate, Charlotte Rutherford, was a junior researcher

Just as lockdowns began, we were informed During one of the Corpus Open Days in 2017, the study I described in the 2019 edition of I had the great fortune of meeting Charlotte The Pelican would be published in Nature Human Rutherford and discussing the prospects of her Behaviour, which is one of the most influential coming to Cambridge to read Psychological scientific journals in behavioural science. and Behavioural Sciences. The intensity to The timing of such a critical study related to which she wrote (nay, CARVED) every concept how humans make decisions with risk and she might want to explore or book she might uncertainty could not be more relevant – enjoy reading is forever burned into my beyond the relevance of COVID, behavioural memory – as was my (unsurprised) delight science has faced a reckoning with widely several months later at her interview when she report failed replications of well-known informed me that she had read them all. experiments. The driving force behind the work Charlotte’s roles in the project involved were early career researchers from the Junior technical checks on the data collection tools Researcher Programme, which I have directed prior to circulation as well as support for since 2011. For the first time in our history, I data collection in both the UK and Australia. am delighted to say that a Corpus student (for Everything about her accomplishments in whom I was Director of Studies) was part of the this project comes down to her tremendous JRP. intellect, commitment and proactive approach. This was an opportunity she sought out herself, and I could not be more thrilled for her. I was delighted to find out her interests overlapped with my research, and am sure all of College shares in my excitement for her accomplishments at such an early stage in her academic career. Only days before, coincidentally during the Corpus gatherings in New York, I was informed by my superior officers in the New York Guard that I should be prepared to deploy as part of the COVID mission. As you likely read, New York City was hardest hit in the earliest days of the US outbreak. As a state, New York has a unique military structure that allows me to continue making an impact in my professional

Image: Charlotte Rutherford (m 2018), current undergraduate in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos.

50 research career while also being able to serve have mostly now eased, but they have told us community and country. COVID brought to prepare for a long mission. unprecedented mobilisation to this structure, While still able to continue with most of my and my role has required substantial adaptation professional academic responsibilities, the and a rapid escalation of responsibilities. Soon past sixty days have meant working almost after the lockdown began, I was asked to move two parallel jobs. While it is too early to say, into an acting command position, becoming my hope is that we will be back soon, running responsible for the coordination, training, the next major study with JRP, and I will look and oversight of an entire detachment forward to seeing everyone in Hall then. (approximately forty soldiers). Those duties ISSUE NO.6 ISSUE

51 Observations from the Past Professor John Hatcher Emeritus Professor of Social and Economic History, and Life Fellow, discusses the Black Death and compares its social effects to those of today

It is understandable that some of us, facing the reaches of what happened in history or what continuing threat of a mysterious disease that might happen in the future. Even so, the scale is rapidly spreading across the world, exposing of the recent surge of interest in the Black Death the limits of medical and scientific knowledge of the mid-fourteenth century is surprising. and especially of mathematical modelling, Sales of books on what was undoubtedly the and challenging the ability of society and worst catastrophe ever suffered in recorded institutions to respond swiftly with appropriate history have multiplied, radio and TV stations counter measures, should use part of the spare across the world have devoted programmes time granted by enforced lockdowns and social to covering its characteristics and impact, isolation to reflect on major epidemics and leading newspapers have featured articles pandemics of the past. Within just the last two seeking to draw parallels with the current decades the world has experienced a succession COVID-19 pandemic and its likely aftermath, of new viruses, including Ebola, swine flu, and podcasts, professional and amateur, from avian flu and SARS. None of which, thankfully, the terrifying to the titillating, have proliferated has caused mortality to surge world-wide on on the web. anything like the scale that many experts had Fortunately, the parallels between medieval been predicting. More arresting for those of an plague and COVID-19 are not at all close. For apocalyptic disposition is the so-called ‘Spanish not only was the Black Death a bacterial rather Flu’ of 1918-1919, which swept across the world than a viral disease, it was far, far more lethal killing anywhere between 20 and 100 million, than COVID-19. As it swept across the known of which an unusually high proportion were the world between 1345 and 1353 the plague young and those in the prime of life. wiped out between 30 and 50 per cent of the If real diseases are not fascinating enough there total population, with at least two thirds of are those that might emerge, as evidenced by those who contracted the bubonic form dying the huge spike in the popularity of the 2011 from it within a week and none of those who thriller, Contagion, a film about the devastation contracted the pneumonic and septicaemic to the contemporary world and the pillars of surviving for more than a day or two. Yet, as civilisation wrought by a novel killer virus that we are often told, every cloud has a silver was also portentously passed onto humans lining. As a result of the massive reduction in from bats. Having languished in 270th position population the great majority of survivors and in December 2019 on the Warner Bros list of their successors benefited from easier access downloads, this film is now second in popularity to land, cheaper food, higher wages, and only to the Harry Potter franchise. Clearly a the loosening of the bonds of serfdom. And, substantial proportion of us are not seeking of course, the Black Death led directly and escapism, but instead searching in the darker promptly to the founding of our College.

52 Reflections from the Staff Tim Rhodes Corpus Boatman, shares his experience as an NHS volunteer during the lockdown.

The last time I had heard the word ‘furloughed’ where I was to meet Suzy. I cycled into a very quiet used quite so much was in the re-runs of Sgt Bilko farmyard and phoned Suzy to let her know I had I used to watch. However, as many others are arrived. finding at the moment, that is what has happened to me from my role as College Boatman at Corpus. Two large packages of sewn garments, double wrapped in plastic, were stowed in my panniers So when the call for NHS volunteers was put out, I and after a chat and a glass of water I set off on the signed up immediately. After a delay of a few days I return journey. was accepted as one of the team. I received emails telling me what was and to some degree wasn’t My route was exactly the same in reverse. My expected of me – including to please not make only challenge was a police car that overtook me, my own uniform. I cleaned and even hoovered my slowed down and then put his flashing blue lights car, ready to help transport people or shopping or on. I thought, hopefully, mine was a legitimate medication to wherever it was needed. But days reason to be out and about this far from home. passed and no call came. My enthusiasm was However, it turned out I did not need to give a still in place but there appeared to be no outlet reason; the police officers had slowed down to for it. However, an email did come from Dr David wave and turn their lights on for the children of a Secher, the Interim Bursar, who had heard of my young family coming in the opposite direction. volunteering effort. He passed on the suggestion Eventually, Cambridge came into view and my first of another volunteering group; Scrub hub. This collection and delivery was safely delivered to the brings together people who can sew gowns, masks

NHS hospital at Fulbourn. NO.6 ISSUE and hats which are collected at a ‘hub’ and are then taken by bicycle to be delivered to the NHS So, although coaching the College’s crews and hospital at Fulbourn and distributed as needed. seeking a hundred ways to say ‘try to engage your legs a little more’ may be on temporary hold, I’m It sounded just the thing for me. I made email hoping to put my own legs to good use for the contact with the extremely efficient Tricia who foreseeable future. organises the volunteers and was quickly given my first assignment. This was a collection of gowns from Bishops Stortford, or at least a farm on the outskirts. I attached my panniers to my bike, and an extra bag just in case, and set off. The weather was perfect; sun, blue sky and a breeze that was just the wrong side of ideal. My journey took me out of Cambridge through Shelford, Duxford, and over the higher ground from Ickleton to Littlebury Green, where sky larks were making themselves heard above. After a while, though, I wondered if that had anything to do with the kestrel circling and swooping around the area. Further towards the border of Hertfordshire I pedalled through Arkesden, Clavering, the almost picture perfect Manuden and finally to the farm

53 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 7: 1 June 2020

Editorial Stuart Laing (m1967) Honorary Fellow and former Master

I’m most grateful to the Master and Liz Winter limitations of what we can do to help others for inviting me to write for this issue of affected by the crisis; I do a round on my bike Pelican in Brief, and I congratulate them and to deliver prescription medications to people the College for this lively way of maintaining in our village, and Sibella, as a Licensed Lay communication in the Corpus community. I’ve Minister, supports the Rector in the church’s much enjoyed, and found most interesting, the continuing virtual ministry. Overall, we are very selection of articles kindly contributed by our fortunate, having access to wide open spaces Fellows and others. And, from Pelican in Brief in the Wiltshire downs for walks to exercise and also from chats and emails with others in with Jack. Cambridge, I have been very impressed with the way that the University and the College This way of life in the lockdown prompts me to have adapted to the crisis and kept going with reflect on the effects of distance. In one sense, research, teaching and learning. we dismiss its impact by our virtual meetings and chats, but at the same time this screen Sibella and I are spending lockdown in our interaction emphasises what we are missing; house in Wiltshire, where we have been living the immediacy of face-to-face contact. We since leaving the Master’s Lodge in August have school teachers in our family, and they nearly two years ago. During lockdown we remind us of the difficulties and differences have begun to think the virus came to force us in teaching and learning remotely – problems to focus on the house and garden, somewhat by now familiar to all of you in the University neglected during the twenty years we have context. owned it but not lived in it. Like many others, we have invented Corona projects; clearing the We also think of the less visible effects of cellar, growing veg, building compost heaps, extended isolation, particularly for those living etc. Once a fortnight our car (otherwise static) on their own. This Pelican in Brief issue touches gets an outing to our local Tesco, for us to at various points on questions of mental health navigate carefully round the aisles, respecting and stress, including – at a tragic extreme – the the two-metre rule. We both have charity sad story of Dr Butts, on his own in a deserted trusteeships and other jobs entailing meetings Cambridge during a plague outbreak. As by Zoom or Teams, and like everyone else we restrictions are lifted, there may be more ways use the computer or phone screen to stay in for us to support those who have suffered from touch with friends and family. Being blessed our current crisis. with good health, we are frustrated by the

54 News from the College Professor Pietro Cicuta Professor of Biological Physics, Fellow and Director of Studies in Physics

What a dramatic six months it has been. software called Slack. I defined various initial Having kept myself out of Addenbrookes for topics to focus on, and allowed access to all twenty years, I spent five weeks in the neonatal the academics from Cambridge and their intensive care unit at the end of last year, collaborators. Very quickly we attracted thankful for the extraordinary care by the NHS about one thousand researchers, contributing of our premature baby (who is now doing well!). knowledge and sharing ideas in a structured I became aware of COVID-19 around Christmas way. This served, for example, rapidly to time; my parents had come over from Italy, and coordinate efforts around the ventilator designs we were hearing the news coming out of China, that various teams had started thinking about, commenting how unthinkable the lockdown and also to share instructions on how to make of a large city and the loss of freedom would various kinds of cheap masks, and we shared be anywhere in the West. information about modelling approaches for the epidemic. This Slack platform is still being Early in March, I realised that what was by then actively used across the University. happening in Italy would almost certainly happen in other European countries. With a In addition to focusing on my graduate students delay of roughly two weeks, there was a similar and post-docs, I got involved in two new trend of cases in Spain, Germany and France COVID-19 related projects. In a very minor way, and soon after in the UK. I tried to help the open source ventilator ovsi. org, which was built in the Whittle Laboratory, I was not surprised when on 20 March the part of the Department of Engineering. My University decided to lock down completely. interest in that project is connected to work My thoughts during the week before shutdown that we do with biomedical technology in were conflicted between the desire to keep NO.7 ISSUE developing countries. I wanted to see if simple everyone safe and infection rates as low as designs could be followed through to produce possible, and the desire to do something medical instruments. useful. After all, universities contain a lot of creative people, many of whom are great I had a more significant involvement in another problem solvers. Shutting down was an project, together with Professor Cecilia extreme reaction; I felt it was not the optimal Mascolo in the Computer Science Laboratory, solution. Researchers were being forced out where the idea was to see if the sounds of voice, of their labs when they might have something coughing and breathing, recorded in a simple useful to contribute. Research in the University way through smartphones, could be enough to has only been allowed on projects very strictly diagnose the COVID-19 condition, its severity, related to COVID. Everybody else has had to and perhaps even distinguish it from other redefine their work from home. types of airway diseases like the common cold or flu. This project covid-19-sounds.org To encourage people to think creatively I is going well. We are still in the initial phase set up an online bulletin system using a

55 PELICAN in BRIEF

of data gathering sound samples and are still looking for more people to join! Having promoted the idea through social media and our personal networks, we also managed to get coverage in the mainstream press. I even appeared on national television. So far 8,000 people have donated their sounds, the largest such data set globally, and we’re in the process of seeing to what extent these sounds can be used to diagnose the disease using signal detection and machine learning algorithms. If this project turns out to be successful it could serve as an automated filter, perhaps as part of an NHS 111 response, helping the health system manage the demand for advice, and to work out who should go to hospital and who should safely wait at home. The pandemic has already had a huge impact on us, including speeding up, for better or worse, many trends that were perhaps about to happen anyway. By changing our daily life and our habits so suddenly, and by preventing us from doing a whole set of things, it has opened up for some people a window of free time. For me despite being busier than ever, it’s given me a chance to consider, with a little bit of detachment, how to use my time and expertise for something immediately useful. A longer version of this article can be found at https://softandbio-physics.blogspot.com/

56 Reflections from the Fellowship Professor Andrew Harvey Professor of Econometrics, Life Fellow and previous College President, describes the landscape of stock markets as they face the challenging times of COVID-19

During the early part of the coronavirus crisis the The size and direction of stock prices is newspapers were full of headlines about stock unpredictable, for the simple reason that, if market crashes. From the third week in February they were predictable, people would act on until the third week in March, markets fell by this information thereby immediately wiping about 30 percent. However, large downward out any predictability. The same is not true movements are often followed by upward of volatility. If there is uncertainty today it is movements a few days later. Upward movements highly likely that there will be uncertainty are somewhat less newsworthy – we apparently tomorrow. There are some exceptions to this all love stories of doom and gloom – but they rule. For example after 9/11 the Dow-Jones point to an important feature of stock markets: fell sharply but it didn’t take long for people they exhibit increasing volatility in times of to realise that there had been no fundamental uncertainty. Big changes are usually a response effect on the economy and within days it was to news, such as restrictions on movement or a back to its earlier level. But what of the financial new economic package. crisis of 2008? This is a much better guide to what we are currently experiencing. Figure 2 shows the Dow-Jones index and returns for the period before and after Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 15 September. The market fell by 30 percent while volatility exploded but then gradually subsided.

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Figure 1: Dow-Jones index and returns in February and March 2020. Figure 1 shows the daily closing price for the main US index, the Dow-Jones, starting on 9 February and ending on 25 March. Very little happens until the third week in February when the index starts to fall. It then appears to stabilize at the beginning of March but after that there are much larger falls. The corresponding Figure 2: Dow-Jones index (at the close) and increase in volatility shows up in the lower graph, returns around the time of the 2008 crash. which plots returns, that is the change in the day divided by index. 57 PELICAN in BRIEF

the delights of Corpus high table, the film The Big Short provides an excellent and, in some places, very funny guide to what was happening.) The interesting point about the recent crash is that it was very sudden. We had known about Coronavirus for some time but it was only at the beginning of March that the full economic implications started to become apparent. In contrast to what happened in 2008, the volatility in the weeks prior to the first big fall was low. Figure 3: Dow-Jones returns. What happened next? Well, over the last two Figure 3 which shows the Dow-Jones returns months, the markets have recovered much of from early 2000 to end of 2009 puts this in a the ground they lost in March, but of course that wider historical context. As can be seen, volatility hasn’t made the headlines. Volatility is down, was gradually increasing prior to the Lehman but it is still on the high side and will remain so collapse. It was becoming increasingly apparent until the full implications for the economy start that something was wrong, but few realised to become clearer. We can then wait for the exactly what it was and what the implications next unexpected shock and watch as volatility were. Of course, some did. (For those of you goes up once again: a predictable element in an who are wondering how to pass the time without unpredictable world.

58 Student Voices Isabella Ferreira (m 2019) Gates Scholar and first-year doctoral research student in Medicine, talks to Somer Ann Greene about adapting her research to support COVID-19 testing

‘It’s the most surreal experience going through secure has been really rewarding — it’s a lot to something like this, especially at Cambridge.’ learn.’ From the group residing at Leckhampton, Isabella Ferreira, Gates Scholar and first-year to the international community of postgraduates doctoral research student in Medicine, did not currently working from home, she observes how expect her first year at Corpus to look quite like the relationships have grown stronger since being scene set before her now. Along with around fifty faced with the unprecedented: ‘When I speak students, Isabella is currently living at Leckhampton with students now, it’s like seeing people’s raw and the grounds have revealed some of the most selves: how they cope with this, seeing what their peaceful parts of themselves during this time of thresholds are and hearing them be so honest quietness – from the songs of new birds to the with their feelings has been really amazing.’ She’s faces of new flowers. Friendships are also being worked closely with the Senior Tutor and Warden of strengthened: ‘The students have formed a sort of Leckhampton as well, ensuring that Leckhampton survivors group where we all support one another,’ remains an encouraging place in the middle of a she explains. difficult time. ‘It’s been very constructive to discuss outcomes with the College and see how working More than a change of pace and atmosphere relationships develop when you open channels however, the direction of Isabella’s work has of communication to ensure support. We’re all also altered due to COVID-19. She was originally collectively trying to make the best scenario for studying infectious diseases, specifically HIV, those who remain in residence.’ and how different cells that make up the cellular HIV reservoir interact and become permissive to Looking to the future, she summarises the positive HIV infection. However, with the urgent need of things the pandemic brought. She has hopes her diagnostic COVID tests, Isabella’s research shifted. research can ‘further uncover ways global health She now examines immune cell interactions, but reacts to infectious diseases that affect certain in the context of COVID rather than HIV. Working parts of a population,’ and as Vice-President, she under the supervision of Professor Ravi Gupta, and the MCR committee have used this moment as Isabella is a member of the lab that is developing a gateway for further connection among students ISSUE NO.7 ISSUE the widely-praised new ‘SAMBA II’ test, which and staff. ‘This has taught me about leadership, can obtain a COVID diagnostic in under 90 crisis management and how to communicate with minutes. ‘I focus on the basic science research, different parties. I think that’s a really amazing skill the immune responses behind all this. I look at I’m starting to gain from this. how to best understand the actual mechanisms and structures before we can apply research.’ The SAMBA II test is not only ground-breaking in its ability to detect active infections, but also in that it requires minimal training to employ — increasing access and therefore helping reduce the risk of infection spread. Isabella is also the MCR Vice-President and her experience in this role has changed as she learns the organisational skills required in a time of crisis. ‘Being on the MCR committee and liaising with the College to make sure everyone feels

59 Reflections from the Staff Sarah Winder-Worsley College Nurse Sarah Winder-Worsley explains what it is like to support students and what they experience during COVID-19

I’ve been nursing for twenty years now both in the the beginning of the Lent Term, increasingly UK and Canada and last June saw me joining the loud rumblings were to be heard, warning of Corpus family, looking to take my nursing career the potential impact the newly discovered in a new and exciting direction. The challenge laid virus in China might have on our international down, which I gladly accepted, was to set up a community. As the term progressed, so did the College Nurse service to support and promote the passage of the virus and with two weeks still health of all Corpus students. I began with a small to go, we made, in consultation with the wider ex-guest room in New Court and a computer. By collegiate University, the difficult decision to ask September, just before the start of the Michaelmas our students to return home. Most have been able term, the bedroom had been transformed into a to go, but we currently have some sixty students clinic, complete with treatment couch, diagnostic still resident in College, the majority from the equipment and a substantial selection of medical postgraduate population living at Leckhampton. supplies for treating a wide range of minor illnesses and injuries. The College is now closed and with the national lockdown, only a skeleton staff of essential workers There are well-established college nurses at twenty- remain onsite. However, I am still supporting five of the Cambridge colleges and there are many students remotely via telephone calls and online opportunities for sharing best practice, but no two meeting platforms. Over the Easter vacation, services are identical. An effective nurse practice my focus has been largely on the students who should be structured around the needs of the remained in residence, but as the Easter Term intended population. One of my first tasks was to began, I continued to be available to the student learn about the health needs of my new student community wherever they are in the world. All population so I invited them to share their medical appointments will be carried out remotely for history via a confidential questionnaire. Their the time being, and these can be booked on fantastic response to this helped to prepare me for my Moodle site. The students face a challenging providing the right support and advice when they term, adapting to new living arrangements and have needed it. methods of assessment, but I encourage any who are struggling to get in touch – support is most It’s not unusual for students to arrive in Cambridge definitely still available! with additional needs as a result of ill health and an important part of my role is to reduce the impact of chronic ill health on their Cambridge experience. Of course, acute ill health also strikes regularly, including mental illness such as anxiety and depression, so my clinics are always varied and I spend a good deal of time signposting students to the services best suited to help them. At the beginning of the Michaelmas Term, I decided to highlight my presence in College by giving each student a free bottle of hand sanitizer – after all flu season was almost upon us! Little did I realise what a valuable commodity it was to become. By

60 Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, reflects on the life of Henry Butts, Corpus Master 1626–1632, and his turmoil during the time of the Plague

Henry Butts, Master between 1626 and 1632, is remembered as one of the most unfortunate of masters. As was usual at the time, Henry Butts also served as Vice-Chancellor for part of his Mastership and so, when Bubonic plague came to Cambridge in April 1630, he found himself needing to manage a huge crisis on behalf of the University. As formal University teaching ceased, and the vast majority of students and fellows fled the town to places they hoped were safer, Butts stayed in Cambridge, working alongside the civic authorities, to deal with the immediate problem of containing the epidemic, relieving the suffering of the sick and supporting those who had lost their livelihoods. University records show strategies for containing infectious disease that are still familiar to us: infected households were required to self-isolate, gatherings of people Image: Henry Butts (d 1632), were banned, and the pubs were closed. Master (1626–1632). In this period Butts remained living in the who were not properly qualified, and the Master’s Lodge, ‘alone … a destitute and mishandling of the entertainments for a royal forsaken man, not a scholar with me in the visit to Cambridge in 1632. A contemporary College, not a scholar seen by me without’. Catholic polemicist even suggested the NO.7 ISSUE This image of a solitary man, struggling to live heart of the problem was Butts’s belief in with memories of terrible suffering has tended the Protestant doctrine of predestination, to influence popular interpretations of Butts’s asserting that such beliefs would inexorably suicide on Easter day 1632 when, having failed draw people to suicidal despair. to turn up to preach at Great St Mary’s, he Exactly what troubled Henry Butts so much we was found hanged in his room in the Master’s will never know, and we know only a limited Lodge. Although there are reports that during amount about Corpus at this period since the crisis he was in poor health and behaving the College chapter book for the period has oddly, Butts had many other subsequent long been lost. We know much more about worries. Contemporaries and historians have his actions as Vice-Chancellor from University suggested various reasons for his despair records preserved in the University Library. including that he suffered overwhelming A picture of Henry Butts, painted in happier shame arising from some part of his conduct times shortly after he became Master, hangs in as Vice-Chancellor: financial misconduct, the OCR. the granting of honorary degrees to people 61 New Fellows Dr Rory Naismith Fellow in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, and Lecturer in the History of England before the Norman Conquest, Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic

Rory Naismith is returning to Cambridge He is interested in the cross-fertilisation of after four years lecturing in the Department material and written sources and has worked of History at King’s College London. Before particularly closely with coinage. At present he that, he was an undergraduate and graduate is preparing a major study of the social impact student in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at of monetisation in early medieval England and Trinity College, Cambridge (2002–2009), and its neighbours, to be published by Princeton subsequently pursued postdoctoral research University Press. He has also recently written in ASNC, History and at the Fitzwilliam Museum about the development of Anglo-Saxon while based at Clare College (2009–2015). London, early medieval guilds and the land market in Anglo-Saxon England. He currently His research focuses on economic and social lives in Cambridge with his wife and daughter. developments in Anglo-Saxon England.

62 Next term in Cambridge Joint letter from all Cambridge College heads of house published in The Times on 22 May

As heads of Cambridge colleges we have been Warden, Robinson College; Mark Welland, Master, concerned in recent days to see headlines St Catharine’s College; Catherine Arnold, Master, St around the world making the claim that Edmund’s College; Tim Whitmarsh, Vice-Master, St Cambridge will be moving entirely online next John’s College; Roger Mosey, Master, Selwyn College; year. These claims have caused unnecessary Richard Penty, Master, Sidney Sussex College; Sally alarm to students and our wider community. Davies, Master, Trinity College; Daniel Tyler, acting We are a collegiate university, and our strength Vice-Master, Trinity Hall; Jane Clarke, President, is that so much student activity takes place Wolfson College; Michael Volland, Principal, Ridley in colleges, from small group teaching and Hall. pastoral care to music and sport. Published: 22 May 2020 We will always take the latest public health advice and clearly there will be challenges in providing all this in the next academic year. Online lectures will make a key contribution. But we are determined to do our best to bring the colleges and the university back to life with intensive in-person learning in the traditional locations and the widest possible range of activities. Jane Stapleton, Master, Christ’s College; Athene Donald, Master, Churchill College; Anthony Grabiner, Master, Clare College; David Ibbetson, President, Clare Hall; Christopher Kelly, Master, Corpus Christi

College; Mary Fowler, Master, Darwin College; Alan NO.7 ISSUE Bookbinder, Master, Downing College; Fiona Reynolds, Master, Emmanuel College; Sally Morgan, Master, Fitzwilliam College; Susan Smith, Mistress, Girton College; Pippa Rogerson, Master, Gonville & Caius College; Geoff Ward, Principal, Homerton College; Anthony Freeling, President, Hughes Hall; Sonita Alleyne, Master, Jesus College; Michael Proctor, Provost, King’s College; Madeleine Atkins, President, Lucy Cavendish College; Rowan Williams, Master, Magdalene College; Barbara Stocking, President, Murray Edwards College; Alison Rose, Principal, Newnham College; Chris Smith, Master, Pembroke College; Bridget Kendall, Master, Peterhouse; John Eatwell, President, Queens’ College; David Yates,

63 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 8: 11 June 2020 Issue 8 : 11 June 2020

Editorial Professor Christopher Kelly The Master

Personal message from the Master on Corpus Black lives matter. This is a simple and powerful Christi Day 2020 truth. It is important that we listen to – and amplify – the cry that went out from George Floyd in Our College of the Corpus Christi and the Minneapolis and has resonated around the world. Blessed Virgin Mary was founded in 1352 by the It is important (uniquely so in a university) that townspeople of Cambridge who, in the aftermath we seek to educate ourselves about the history of of a devastating plague, moved to establish a racism and its living and lasting manifestations. The society of scholars dedicated (in the words of assertion that our society is fair and equal is one of our statutes) to ‘education, research, learning the most offensive exercises of white privilege. To and religion’. This Corpus Christi Day issue of counter it is our duty. But words can only go so far the Pelican in Brief again offers a prismatic view – hence why this statement is brief. What matters of the College as it deals with the challenges of is change. A lament that does not move us to take COVID-19. It also celebrates our founders, most responsibility is hollow. The challenge that now especially Margaret Andrew, the College’s first confronts every institution, and in particular, every known benefactor and explores the history of our Cambridge college, is to transform the anger and very name – Corpus Christi. outrage of the last few weeks into action. I look On Corpus Christi Day, it is right and proper that forward to educating myself further, to listening to we should reflect on our foundation, on the a rich diversity of voices – and to translating advice generosity and vision of our benefactors that into material change. This small College should has enabled this College to survive nearly seven mirror in miniature the pressing concerns of our centuries and on the faith of our founders in the society. There is much work to be undertaken, and strength of their new collegiate community. Our I know we all could have already done more than College was founded by a small group of radical we have. We will do more, in both the long and reformers recovering from the near collapse of short term, with urgency and with deliberation. their own society. I often reflect on them, and on what they might demand of us 668 years later as we face our own problems, and as I think long and hard about what sort of future I should try to shape for my own son (who turns one- year-old this weekend). It is that spirit that I want to share with you a statement that I have today published on the College’s website. It is a frank, open and very personal reflection on the events that have dominated the last fortnight.

64 News from the College Dr Fumiya Iida Fellow and Reader in Robotics, Department of Engineering

We engineers are always looking for challenges to who are attempting to rapid-prototype low-cost solve with our knowledge and skills. This attitude, ventilators, and her rapid-prototyping skills in however, is too often misguided as we realise electronics helped them to complete the first the challenges are bigger than we thought! Our prototype in a matter of a few weeks. It is now aspirations for what technology can achieve are undergoing performance testing, before being so high that our ideas are often swept away before mass-produced and delivered to countries where becoming reality. it is desperately needed. When COVID-19 hit us in March, I thought the These projects are not the big high-tech research pandemic was a challenge for medics, biochemists projects we usually work on, but they reflect and pharmacists, and that there was little engineers our students’ willingness to contribute and help could contribute to help. The development of in this unprecedented situation. On reflection, medical devices and pharmaceuticals is a hugely what makes cheap and fast prototyping useful active field of research, but it requires a great deal is the power of community. Each of us has very of background knowledge to make progress, limited capacity alone, but together we are very and even if development of a product or drug is powerful, especially when we work in structured successful, it takes years of testing and approval communities such as the Facebook group or before it reaches those who need it. the mechanical engineering student group. This lesson I believe will guide us not only in how to However, my view of the limitations we faced collaborate in ways we had not expected but also was challenged robustly when COVID-19 hit us. how to make ourselves resilient and prepare for When the University was about to close down, the next big challenges ahead. one of my postgraduate students asked me if he could take some of our lab’s portable 3D printers Dr Iida and his lab were also featured in the news for home with him. I told him to go ahead, since we designing an open-source ventilator with local clinicians, couldn’t use them in the lab during lockdown engineers and manufacturers across Africa that is and he was welcome to experiment with them at focused on addressing the specific needs for treating home. What emerged was rather delightful. The COVID-19 patients, yet is a fully functioning system for student found a local Facebook group receiving use after the pandemic. and distributing 3D printed face shields, and he programmed our lab 3D printers to print as many of them as possible. He is now printing twenty- four head clips of face shields every day, and over four hundred of them have so far been shipped to a distribution hub. These masks were first sent NO.8 ISSUE to front-line workers like cleaners and carers in Cambridge, but now the distribution has been expanded to many other places across the UK. Another postdoc co-worker in my group whose work had more or less been stopped by the lockdown reported to me that she had become involved with a ventilator development project to supply ventilators for African countries. She joined a group of Cambridge mechanical engineers,

65 Reflections from the Fellowship Dr Shruti Kapila Fellow, Tutor and Director of Studies in History examines the impact of the Bubonic plague that devastated Bombay and western and northern India in 1896 Ever since the pandemic was declared in March, was also a key node in global sea routes into the I’ve been thinking about global epidemics and Suez as well as the port of choice for pilgrims for their relationship to politics. Commentators and the Hajj. Bombay was also the central point of philosophers were somewhat quick to opine that internal migration and for the railway network our current moment of suspended animation in the subcontinent. will work as a much-needed pause that would The so-called ‘patient zero’ of the plague was usher in a new and better age for humanity and an inhabitant of one of the thickly packed that would ‘heal’ nature. neighbourhoods of mill workers that dotted As a historian, and due to habit and training, I the city. Bombay was segregated along racial turned to the past in the hope of gaining insight lines. This racial line had been policed as a line into what has been the single most challenging of contagion since the start of the nineteenth human event in several decades. In doing so, I century as infectious and venereal diseases found the history of India especially instructive. periodically caused death and devastation. To I say this not out of native attachment but that end, ambitious vaccination programmes rather as its scale and story of imperialism and in colonial India had faced social and cultural freedom have had a long and enduring impact resistance, as these were identified with the on twentieth-century world history. imperial project to ‘colonize the Indian body.’ * The key event here that has helped me think The plague incited changes in the three related about the pandemic is, without a doubt, the areas of the state, medicine and politics. A Bubonic plague that rocked Bombay and draconian Epidemics Control Act enacted western and northern India, and which started in 1897 empowered the state to conduct in 1896. Within two decades, twelve million widespread surveillance and segregation of Indians were killed by it, just two million short Indian populations that was accompanied of the fourteen million who died due to the by the aggressive deployment of policing Spanish flu that came soon after the plague. and coercion. Secondly, much like today, the epidemic occasioned great medical innovation Appearing as it did at the height of the British that was funded not by the imperial state but by Empire in India, the plague emerged as a the Aga Khan, the leader of the Ismaili Muslims defining watershed as it inaugurated mass and a wealthy philanthropist. The successful anti-colonial and nationalist politics. At the vaccine that is still in use today was produced same time, the plague and its management by Waldemar Haffkine, an early Zionist and paradoxically created widespread consensus for Jewish émigré from Russia who made his way western medicine in Indian society, which had to Bombay via the Pasteur Institute. And finally, been largely resistant to it for nearly a century. under the leadership of the Indian nationalist The plague was first detected in the city of leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak, mass anti-colonial Bombay. The city was the heaving and densely politics were mounted that took to the street as populated capital of the world cotton trade. It the site of mass protest. Strikingly, the Plague

66 A hospital in India during the plague (1896/97). Image source: Wellcome Library / Public Domain.

Commissioner in neighbouring Pune, WC Rand even as India has become a destination for and his lieutenant were assassinated by young medical tourism. The plague wrought the Indian radicals who, like anarchists in Europe, greatest transformation, however, on the followed the cult of the bomb. political remaking of India and Indians as it triggered and laid down the foundations of mass Draconian measures that included forcible entry anti-imperial nationalism. into houses, violent spraying of disinfectants by the police in neighbourhoods and on people Now, a little over two months into the pandemic, alike, who were forced to congregate and I am captivated by #BlackLivesMatter and the submit to it, and above all, the segregation of American protests against racism. I wonder if women and children in camps, incited mass this moment of pause will in fact, become the resistance and political restiveness. Informed greatest moment of political change in our times. by pragmatism, the imperial state changed its *David Arnold, Colonizing the Body: State policy and opened the doors to Indian doctors Medicine and Epidemic Disease in Nineteenth- NO.8 ISSUE of the elite Medical Service that had hitherto Century India (Berkeley: University of California been organised on racial lines. Indianisation Press, 1993) of the medical profession thus created a new consensus and acceptance of western medicine Shruti Kapila’s interests include modern Indian in Indian society. history and politics, empire and global political thought. She also contributes to print media and A little over a century later, and today, India is the television, Twitter: @shrutikapila. world’s largest producer of generic drugs and the country exports medical doctors worldwide

67 Student Voices Dominic Bielby JCR President and second-year undergraduate in Law, describes what life is like at as a student during COVID-19

It would be a bit of an understatement to have all been pushed towards a collective say that life, for many of us in Corpus, has responsibility to keep ourselves and the nation changed. The world has been turned upside safe, the likes of which are unparalleled in this down to a degree which would have been century. Closer to Cambridge, as students of simply impossible to imagine at the start of the University, our supervisions have migrated the academic year. It is surreal to recall those to Zoom, whilst our Tripos exams have either final weeks of Lent Term; the conviviality of the been scrapped, delayed or transformed into Nicholas Bacon Law Dinner; procrastinatory virtual variations. Perhaps, however, the most pub trips; and the anticipation of heading potent change has been the impact to our home to enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation, lives as members of the Corpus community; before returning for Easter. Before we knew spread across the country and the world, that it, however, this comforting normality had friendly, lively atmosphere that we know and morphed into our new reality of lockdowns, love about our College has dissipated from its social-distancing and alertness, the pressure base in Old House and with it the prospect of of which is only now, tentatively, starting post-exam rewards – May Balls, punting and to lift. For a while I was stuck in Newnham trips to Grantchester – lost, the unattainable House, confined to my room, only venturing dreams of a time which feels years in the past. outside for a walk every evening. In any other Whilst these general privations have been circumstances the stillness of Silver Street and difficult for many of us to accommodate, as we the Backs would have been calming, a foil to feel that we have lost key aspects of that which their usual bustle, but in those early nights of makes our University experience so special, the virus, it was intensely unsettling. On my they pale in comparison with the particular last night in Cambridge, I walked to the UL and burdens shouldered by some members of our Sidgewick site to say goodbye to the places community dealing directly with the effects of which have been my home for the last year the Coronavirus, be it through their work to and a half. It was as if a quiet apocalypse had keep us safe; managing the consequences of descended, Faculties which I knew best when infections within their own family; or dealing full of life, now eerie in their silence. The next with the strains and stresses that a pandemic day, it was time to head back North, homeward can cause to mental health. bound, where I entered into the daily routine which continues today; a mixture of working, In any case, it often feels that the days in sleeping and regulation-compliant walking which we lived pre-COVID-19 will never return, across days which have blurred into each other, however, in many ways strands of normalcy one after the other. have remained, linking us still with Cambridge and Corpus. Those Zoom supervisions, even On reflection, I have been affected at three with their technical constraints and annoying different levels, as have many of my peers. At glitches, have allowed us to keep up the one level, as a UK citizen, we have had one academic discussion which attracted us to the of our most basic rights – that of freedom University in the first place, reminding us of the of movement – drastically curtailed, rightly need for thought and contemplation in the face so, in the name of public health and we of grave circumstances, to allow better ideas to

68 thrive in the aftermath. For some, the prospect When, in due time, we travel back to Cambridge, of exams, although as nerve-wracking as they I have no doubt that those first few days will be have always been, has provided a welcome as surreal as the immediate days post-lockdown structure through which to focus their energy, were, the fact of our return evidencing the as well as reminding us of our original goal resilience of our College, an institution whose when we came to Cambridge and where we origins lay in the embers of another epidemic may wish to take ourselves afterwards. Even over 650 years ago. With time however, our with the pressures of dispersion on the fabric memories of life in this extraordinary chapter of the Corpus community, Corpuscles have of our world history and our personal stories, still managed to stay close, metaphorically, will be pushed to the back of our minds as ISSUE NO.8 ISSUE of course: undergraduates are as talkative on new experiences are had and better times their group chats as ever and even some JCR- enjoyed, to exist in the same ephemeral state organised events have occurred in earnest, the as our memories of Michaelmas and Lent do Committee meetings as thrilling for members now. Nevertheless, I am sure that in years to as they were in person. Although, ultimately, come we will, on occasion, be reminded of this these experiences are not the same as we period, for better or for worse, and the part that would be having without the pandemic, they we all played in the history of Corpus, and our offer at least glimmers of the world to which role in shaping its future when we returned. we belonged and will, eventually, return.

69 Sarah Rafferty Corpus postgraduate Sarah Rafferty shares how the College Boat Club is maintaining its sense of community, whilst keeping its members fit and raising money for an important local cause through the CCCBC Charity Challenge. This week, the Boat Club should have been da Foz, Portugal – where our annual training competing in May Bumps, building on the huge camp is held – over the course of a week. That’s a success of the Lent Bumps campaign. Instead, 2020km collective effort. We began our challenge CCCBC has been adapting to life where rowing on Saturday 6 June and it will be concluding on in our usual eights is not possible. Although Friday 12 June. Over thirty current members and geographically dispersed, CCCBC has managed to alumni have been participating in the challenge so maintain its sense of community, whilst keeping its far. Tim Rhodes – the College boatman – has also members fit and raising money for an important been adding his cycling kilometres to our total. local cause. Over the course of Easter Term, the Men’s and Women’s Captains have organised successful virtual circuit training sessions and our Social Secretary has hosted pub quizzes on Zoom (including a round testing our knowledge of college blade colours). We are also preparing for Virtual Bumps whereby crew members will be trying their hands at running 800m, rather than rowing the usual bumps course. This will be celebrated with a virtual black-tie Boat Club Dinner, to try and keep some normality to this most abnormal Easter Term. To channel our efforts towards a worthwhile cause, the Boat Club has coordinated a charity fundraiser. CCCBC has taken on the challenge to walk, run, cycle and erg the distance from Corpus to Figueira

70 It was important for us to support a local ensuring all rough sleepers are verified by the charity, helping with the indirect impacts of the appropriate services, amongst other initiatives. COVID-19 pandemic. We are therefore raising At the time of writing, we’re at the end of Day money for Wintercomfort, which is a charity 2, and have managed a distance of 950km providing essential support and services for with 1,070km remaining. That’s the equivalent the homeless in Cambridge. Wintercomfort of travelling from Corpus to 50km south has put out an Emergency COVID-19 Appeal in of Bordeaux, France. Activities so far have order to receive the funding it needs to adapt included a half marathon, multiple >50km and continue its work during the pandemic. cycle rides, erging in the rain and a walk along Since the closure of its usual activities on 25 the river in Henley-on-Thames, which would March, the charity has supported 292 people usually be preparing for the annual Henley through emergency food vouchers; a laundry Royal Regatta. service; providing mindfulness packs and ISSUE NO.8 ISSUE

71 View from the College Chapel The Revd Dr Andrew Davison Dean of Chapel, Fellow in Theology and Starbridge (University) Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences explains the origins of the Guild dedicated to ‘Corpus Christi’

Later in this edition of Pelican in Brief, Dr Philippa Orvieto (an Italian town I urge you to visit if you Hoskin will relate the story of how our College was have the opportunity). Not much further than a founded, and its relation to two Gilds dedicated dozen miles away, in Bolsena, a miracle was held to Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary. to have taken place in 1263, with the bread of But how did it come to be that there was a Gild Holy Communion bleeding upon the fair linen dedicated to ‘Corpus Christi’ – the Body of Christ cloth that was laid upon the altar: confirmation, it – in mid-fourteenth century England? was thought, of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Urban’s declaration of Corpus Christi The story takes in academic theology – does not mention the miracle, but if the dating to indeed Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a giant 1263 is correct, it is also a likely provocation. And among theologians – popular piety, and an as it happened, Thomas Aquinas was resident interconnected Europe that saw the Archdeacon theologian in Orvieto, at the service of the papal of Liège become Pope Urban IV. It was Urban’s court, in the early 1260s, and a writer at the height solemn decree in 1264 that instituted a feast of his powers. So, Urban could call upon him day in honour of the Eucharist, or sacrament of to compose material, especially hymns, for the Holy Communion, to be observed each year on new feast. Those hymns are still sung around the the Thursday after Trinity Sunday: which is to say, world, and in Corpus Chapel, including Adoro te today. devote (‘Thee we adore, O hidden saviour’) with As with much that makes its way into the calendar its salutation to the ‘Pius pelican’, which might of the churches, the commemoration started raise an approving smile among members of the small and local. In the North of Europe, a nun born College, encountered perhaps in Gerard Finzi’s in what is today Belgium, St Juliana of Liège, held anthem ‘Lo the Full Final Sacrifice’, based – in a the Eucharist in particular veneration. Before she round-about way – on Thomas’ verse. died in 1258, she had impressed that devotion Popes could not exactly snap their fingers and get upon her local bishop, Robert de Thorete, and what they wanted in 1264, if they ever could, as upon a more junior cleric, Jacques Pantaléon. is witnessed by the efforts of subsequent Popes Robert would institute a local day of celebration (Clement V and John XXII in particular) to make in the calendar of his diocese, but Jacques was to sure that the new feast actually caught on. Not have the greater impact, ascending to become until the start of the fourteenth century does it Pope Urban IV in 1261. He died not long after, in seem to have become part of the order of things 1264, but not before he had proclaimed, in the in Germany, and in England even a little later. But year he died, that a Feast of Corpus Christi should eventually it did. And that is how devotion to the henceforth be marked throughout the Church. Eucharist – and to the Eucharistic elements, and That is not the end of local detail however. It may especially the consecrated bread – would be part also have mattered that in Urban’s time (and of the religious constitution of the townspeople indeed, from Urban’s time, and for the next forty of Cambridge, wanting to found a Guild. years) the papacy was based not in Rome but in

72 The Feast was abolished in England in 1548, when Thomas Cranmer was Archbishop (and, not unrelated, our College would eventually be known as ‘Benet College’ for a while). Celebration of Corpus Christi Day was revived here and there, somewhat rebelliously, by the Oxford Movement. There is a story – I am not sure if it’s true – of a distressed Bishop of London writing to the vicar of All Saints’, Margaret Street (a shrine of Anglocatholic devotion) asking him to explain why he was to be seen ‘walking down Oxford Street on Thursday last behind the Holy Communion’. Such joyous processions of the Eucharistic bread have been part of the celebration of Corpus Christ day since its inception. A procession from St Bene’t’s Church to Little Saint Mary’s (founded the same year as our College), or vice versa, is to be seen and heard passing by the front of

the College each year (see left), perhaps with a brass band, certainly with congregation in full song, and ideally preceded by children throwing rose petals. In the fullness of time, the Church of England would characteristically reintegrate much that, for a while, it had done without. The Alternative Service Book of 1980 noted, at the end of its calendar, that ‘The Thursday after Trinity Sunday may be observed as a day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion.’ Finally, in 2000, with Common Worship, the name of our College would come back in full: the Thursday after Trinity Sunday being ‘The Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (Corpus Christi)’. One day, perhaps, it will even make it out of parenthesis. ISSUE NO.8 ISSUE

Image: Rowan Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, carrying the Blessed Sacrament on Corpus Christi Day past Corpus Christi College 20 June 2019. Image credit: Martin Bond, A Cambridge Diary.

73 Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, explains the important will of Margaret Andrew of Chesterton and how it provided the grounds of College today

The College gives pride of place in its list of Our corporate life has been made possible by benefactors to Margaret Andrew of Chesterton the collective good will of previous generations who, by her will of 7 May 1349, gave lands to of men and women who for nearly seven both the gild of St Mary and the gild of Corpus hundred years have not only joined together Christi, which just three years later were to to support the scholarly endeavours of College merge into the joint gild in which Corpus members of their own times but who have Christi College has its origins. About Margaret also had an eye to supporting the work of the we know very little: she had a small amount future College and its members. of land – she gave one and a half acres in Chesterton fields to Corpus Christi gild and a tenement ‘in St Andrews parish next that of St Radegund, and abutting on the King’s way’, to St Mary’s gild. The gift to the Corpus Christi gild is significant because it is the very earliest documentary evidence of its existence. Apart from that, Margaret left a collection of domestic goods that suggest that she’d had oversight of a relatively large household, including fourteen bowls and basins of various sizes. Gilds were a key part of the lives of medieval men and women. The gilds which founded our College were what is know as religious gilds and they provided mutual social and religious support for their members. In return for gifts of cash, goods, or rents or land, members received the support of other members and the guarantee that after their deaths, their souls would be aided on their way to heaven by prayers and masses paid for by the gild. Gilds kept lists of their deceased members and we are fortunate that in our College archives we not only have a copy of Margaret Andrew’s will but also a list of the people that the gild of St Mary kept in their prayers and memories. Images: Margaret Andrew’s will, 7 May 1349, If Margaret’s motive for her charitable bequest CCCC 1/G/1/34. was to be remembered, then she has had her wish granted.

74 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 9: 18 June 2020

Editorial Professor Emma Wilson Vice-Master, Professor of French Literature and the Visual Arts, College Tutor and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages

Exams are mostly over now. One of my century painting and nineteenth-century students told me the time flew by. Another, photography. In hand-coloured, long- and one of the ones who stayed, said that she has multiple-exposure photographs, Salmon finds cycled round Cambridge, seen the Cambridge a visual form for wishfulness, the shadowy Central Mosque (Europe’s first eco-friendly happenings of the imagination. Another is on mosque) and shopped in the delis on Mill the exhibition Linderism that is currently held Road. She told me she felt for the first time suspended at Kettle’s Yard. There is a surreal that she has roots here in Cambridge and that Pompeii aspect to the empty galleries, and this is the place she lives in now. to the student rooms, the unlived term. The connections we still have somehow mean This week in Corpus, undergraduates have something more. begun to return to collect their possessions, often left at short notice sometime in To mark Corpus Christi day this year, in a March. Sarah Wordsworth, Sandra, the head moving virtual meeting, the Master invited housekeeper, the porters, and Wendy and the Donnelley Fellow Librarian to talk about Emma, the tutorial administrators, have the early years of the College, and the Dean miraculously made it all work. Timing has of Chapel to say a prayer by Matthew Parker. been smooth, lives here packed up in half a Then the Master proposed four toasts. He day. The year has been arrested, no spring mentioned the people who have helped all of or summer here for most students, no warm, us come through this. He toasted our Senior long evenings or flowers in the gardens at Tutor, Marina Frasca Spada and Interim Bursar, Leckhampton. The glimpse of College, a quick David Secher. And he toasted the College return, has been precious. For the students staff for their exceptional work and care. He abroad, Sandra and her team will take over the went on to toast the finalists and the MPhils, packing, and boxes will be shipped. the students who are leaving. Then, as we prepared to raise glasses of wine in front of At home, I’m starting to work on pieces that computer screens, he proposed the toast to are overdue. One is an essay on the work of the College in its traditional form: FLOREAT a young woman photographer, Kadie Salmon, ANTIQUA DOMUS. who was to have an exhibition in London this June. Her work references French eighteenth-

75 Reflections from the Fellowship Dr Thomas Nelson Research Fellow in Classics

When lockdown began back in March, I decided leaders – think of Oedipus’ unwitting crimes like many others to hunker down with a good in Thebes which similarly bring down a plague book. I figured this was a good opportunity on his people. In the Iliad, Agamemnon’s to re-read Homers Iliad in its entirety and to haughty arrogance and initial inaction cost the escape from the bleak present through the lives of many Greeks, setting a pattern for his distant world of myth. But I should really know weak leadership throughout the epic: a recent by now that the ancient world never gets you monograph aptly characterises him as a ‘pathetic far from the concerns of the present. From its despot’. His negative example is perhaps one opening lines, this ancient epic resonates with which some world leaders could have heeded a our contemporary circumstances in new ways. little more carefully in recent months. The Iliad begins with a plague afflicting the Beyond academia, Thomas is passionate about dance Greeks, sent by the god Apollo to punish the and music. As a Ballroom and Latin dancer, he has misdeeds of their leader, Agamemnon. The represented England and Cambridge internationally and king refuses to return a female captive to her as a member of XS Latin Cambridge, he is a UK Champion supplicating father, who happens to be a priest and WDSF World Championship Semi-finalist in Latin of Apollo. In anger, Apollo rains down a plague Formation Dancing. His dance team has produced a which ravages the Greek camp for nine days socially distanced performance of their Time routine until the Greek warrior Achilles calls an assembly which is available to view online. and asks a seer how to resolve the crisis. It is only by returning the captive and performing a lavish sacrifice that the Greeks appease Apollos anger and avert further ruin. This myth may be millennia-old, but it has much to teach us about our current situation. First, the notion of divine punishment. Over the past months, many people – from the Dalai Lama to the UN’s environment chief – have represented the pandemic as a warning or punishment sent by ‘Mother Earth’, a quasi-deified power akin to Homer’s Apollo. In the broader Trojan war myth, too, the whole conflict over Helen was conceived as part of Zeus’ grand plan to relieve an overburdened earth. The COVID-19 outbreak is similarly seen as an opportunity for nature to heal itself, but also as a preview of the potential climate chaos ahead. Apollo had to be appeased – and so too does Mother Earth. Humankind can’t simply go back to how things were before. The story also offers an object lesson in political leadership. Plagues in Greek myth frequently follow after the faults and flaws of political

76 Alumni Perspective William Kendall (m 1989) a serial entrepreneur and investor in food and drink businesses, highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the food production industry

One in seven British employees are somehow recent report from the USA suggested that the involved in feeding the nation. Unless they work cost of treating the consequences of poor diet directly in the hospitality industry they will have exceeded the entire profitability of the US food been very busy over the last few months – an industry. Back on British farms many of our soils army of farmworkers, factory staff and delivery are depleted of what makes healthy food, yet drivers often working in just as risky conditions farmers face an uncertain future as Brexit takes as our NHS heroes but less on everybody’s mind us out of the CAP and our financial life-support. as we clapped from our doorsteps on Thursday Concerns over our economic future combine with evenings. Social distancing isn’t always easy if you the possibility of the reintroduction of substantial are preparing ready meals in a labour-intensive tariffs on trade with the EU, our biggest trading factory or delivering groceries to a sick customer. partner. And then there are fears over new deals, Many smaller businesses have reported much hurriedly put in place, which might threaten UK higher sales during the crisis. Smaller outlets, quality standards. like farmshops, have perhaps seemed safer and more welcoming than supermarkets. Often what they sell seems fresher and more nutritious, and customers have felt that they are supporting something worthwhile by visiting them. A local butcher told me that it felt like a return to the High Street of a generation ago. He was coping with a surge in demand for deliveries and found customers valued an informative and friendly chat and often asked why his meat tasted so much better than what they usually buy elsewhere. Will this new interest in taste and provenance last? William Kendall (m 1989) grew up on a College- owned farm in Bedfordshire. In addition he now Food industry lobbyists are reporting that the fact farms organically in Suffolk. He has been behind Britain has not experienced a shortage during food and drink brands like New Covent Garden the lockdown is in some ways unhelpful. The Soup Co., Green & Black’s and Cawston Press. He government has been able to relegate this vast is a director or trustee of several international and vital part of the economy to low priority. We food and farming businesses. are used to this status as the nation has become complacent about its food supply ever since we As an undergraduate at Corpus in the 1980s I abandoned rationing in the 1950s. We enjoy food witnessed the accelerated dismantling of another cheap and convenient, and give little thought great industry, coal. The wider implications of this for the wider implications to the industry which policy were not understood and great harm was produces it. There is growing evidence that basic done. We could though, even then, anticipate a produce contains far fewer nutrients than it did future without coal. Sometimes it feels like we are NO.9 ISSUE decades ago. When not dealing with COVID-19 contemplating a future without good food and, it complications, our health service is fighting goes without saying, it is unattractive. multiple, deadlier, diet-related conditions. A

77 Student Voices Harry Taylor third-year undergraduate reading History (and former President of the JCR), describes his experience of learning in lockdown After leaving Cambridge in a hurry a week earlier making the last changes to my dissertation, than expected, I was stuck at home refreshing the inability to pop to the UL to consult some for the daily updates from the central University. obscure volume made itself painfully felt. Though Moving through the scales it rapidly became fortunate in that I have somewhere to work, and apparent that what had been unthinkable only can access online materials, this is still a radical a couple of weeks previous was happening. departure from everything that I had become Easter Term was cancelled. As my dissertation used to over the last couple of years. supervisor told me the next day, this was the first time that his College, Peterhouse, had There are some silver linings to this. I for one been closed since the Black Death. As a finalist am grateful at not having to go into a very large looking forward to their last hurrah this was quite hall full of lots of other stressed people to do my the blow, for despite its detractions, Exam term finals. Despite this, I’d definitely still rather be has provided many of my fondest Cambridge in Cambridge, sipping cordial in the sun on Old memories in the past. Court and contemplating our next cricket match. Though we are staying in contact in our various Being an historian I am not as affected by the ways – I’ve even joined a letter writing circle – disruption as many. This term was set to have it’s this loss of the camaraderie of College life only a few supervisions and revision lectures – that is most striking about studying from beyond nothing compared to the dense schedules of the Fens. And for those of us set to leave at the many other courses. The closure of libraries is end of this term, we will miss it. making life very difficult, though. When I was

78 A Tribute to The Revd Canon Jeremy Davies The Revd Dr Andrew Davison Dean of Chapel, Fellow in Theology and Starbridge (University) Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences pays tribute to Canon Jeremy Davies and introduces new chaplain Revd Dr Matthew Bullimore

Over the summer, our acting chaplain, Canon Jeremy was a choral scholar, and has maintained Jeremy Davies, will be leaving us. Over the a life-long involvement in music. He would past year and a half, he has contributed a later study theology, in preparation for great deal to College life. As Jeremy leaves, we ordination, and the combination of English, are delighted to be welcoming Dr Matthew Music and Theology has served him well Bullimore us as our new chaplain. over decades as a priest that have seen him Jeremy has been with us since January 2019, as both a university chaplain (Queen Mary and had helped us out as acting chaplain for College, Cardiff University, and now Corpus) a term earlier on. He is no stranger to the and responsible for the liturgical and musical College, having read English at Corpus (m. 1965). life of Salisbury Cathedral as precentor. ISSUE NO.9 ISSUE

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One of the joys of having Jeremy with us as Matthew comes to us from Churchill College, chaplain has been his great affection and long- where for the last two years he has been the standing membership of the College, and his Widening Participation Officer. Prior to that recollection – warm rather than nostalgic – of his background was in theological education scenes from Corpus in the second half of the and parish ministry. He has spent most of his 1960s, and since. We also say farewell to Simon, working life on the border of West and South Jeremy’s husband, who is an opera singer and Yorkshire, in communities suffering from long- teacher. His hospitality towards the choir and term deprivation. chapel team has been much appreciated, as has Matt, as he is likely to be known, studied his company at dinner. theology as an undergraduate at Cambridge, Jeremy returns to ‘retirement’ in Salisbury, if his before receiving a scholarship from Emmanuel energetic combination of spiritual direction, and College to spend a year at Harvard University, of lecturing and preaching around the world working mainly in the Divinity School. After an can be called retirement. We look forward to MPhil at the University of Manchester, he came his return to College as old member and former to Westcott House in Cambridge to prepare fellow in the years to come, and offer our thanks for ordination. While there, he completed a for all he has given as acting chaplain. doctorate under the supervision of Professor Catherine Pickstock (Emmanuel) and Professor William Horbury (Corpus). He served his curacy in the Diocese of Wakefield, after which he was the Bishop of Wakefield’s chaplain. Matthew’s academic interests are principally in political theology and social ethics. He is currently the Assistant Editor for Crucible: The Journal of Christian Social Ethics. He also writes on ecclesiology (the theological study of the Church), vocation, and philosophical theology. In 2016, he edited Graced Life: The Writings of John Hughes, the collected essays of the late Dean of Jesus College, Cambridge, with whom he had trained at Westcott. During his time at Churchill, Matt was secretary to the University’s Black Access Working Group, and helped to establish a project for black pupils in year 9 from Croydon. The focus of the project is aspiration, leadership and community, and it works with black leaders from Croydon and beyond to help pupils discern how they can be agents of change, and community leaders themselves. Matthew will be taking up his post as chaplain on 1 August, working closely with me as Dean of Chapel. He has three children, aged twelve, ten and five. The Revd Dr Matthew Bullimore

80 Reflections from the Staff Wendy Klein Senior Tutorial Administrator, shares the experiences of the Tutorial team as they work to ensure the best for Corpus students

Rewind to 13 March – I was wringing my hands Bravo to all levels of the University and College about whether or not to fly to Canada the for the incredible amount of work that continues next day for a two-week holiday, and then at to go on behind the scenes. I’m also grateful to the eleventh hour decided not to go – phew! College donors, whose donations, in addition to What a different world that was. Now here we continuing to provide much-needed hardship are, twelve weeks into working from home, and awards, are providing financial help for items everything around us has changed dramatically. such as laptops, printers, and so on, to help First and foremost, all of the undergraduates teaching and assessments online to be fair and are being taught and are sitting examinations accessible to all of our students. (or assessments) from home AND online AND there will be no in-person General Admission in June. We are housing seven undergraduates and 50 postgraduates who were unable to return to their homes. Zoom has become an invaluable daily tool. The Tutorial team meet every day which has been extremely helpful in keeping us sane. Our new Tutorial Administrator, Emma has now worked more time at home than she has in the office, as she began with us mid-February. We also meet bi-weekly with College Tutors and also with the JCR. Seeing those lovely JCR faces on my screen the first time brought tears to my eyes as I realised how much I missed them all! We even had a Zoom leaving coffee for Admissions Coordinator, Janet Rogers, as she retires after fifteen years of service. In the Tutorial Office, we have had to learn novel ways to say “I don’t know yet” to the many queries that arrive in our email boxes; this is difficult when we pride ourselves on finding answers for and assuring our students. At the time of writing, we don’t yet know what One thing can be said, my job is anything but the 2020-21 academic year will look like, and dull! I’ve just been asked to be a judge for the ISSUE NO.9 ISSUE I certainly do feel for both the graduands and Lockdown Corpus Bake Off. Just another day in offer-holders of 2020. the life of this Tutorial Administrator.

81 Jenny Reavell Corpus’s Project Accountant, discusses the College’s achievement of the Platinum Award for the fourth consecutive year in the University’s Green Impact Awards

It started with humorous segments on wildlife Green Impact scheme and are delighted to have creeping back into our towns – the goats in again won their Platinum Award. This level of Llandudno, the peacocks perusing the shop award was introduced four years ago to recognise windows of Ronda. But as lockdown progressed Departments and Colleges that really step up to the around the world we began to see headline challenge of the scheme. Corpus Christi is the only pictures of cities looking ever cleaner and greener – College to have won a Platinum Award in each of jellyfish in the Venice canals, skylines without their those four years – a testament to the dedication of smog clouds. And people started to talk about the the College’s Green Committee, students, Fellows environmental benefits of lockdown. Will it last? I and staff. suspect not, but I hope that these glimpses of an alternative environmental future will be powerful The scheme focuses on environmental areas such enough to prompt new conversations and new as waste, energy management, sourcing of food efforts to protect our planet. and bio-diversity. Last year we completed nearly 100 actions and were one of 150 teams taking part across the University. My time at Corpus has seen us significantly reduce our use of single use plastics, introduce vegan options for meals, recycle industrial equipment, reinstate native planting and install LED lighting in the libraries. The new kitchens were designed to minimise energy usage, and the installation last year of irrigation under the New Court lawn helps us reduce our water consumption. Of course, those decisions aren’t driven only by Green Impact so, whilst I am proud of the College for achieving the award, I’m more proud of the significant investments we’re making, and the fact that reducing our environmental impact informs College-wide decision making. Jenny works in our Finance team and as a member The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Green Committee leads on our submission recognise that ending poverty and reducing each year to the University’s Green Impact awards. inequality have to happen whilst addressing Before joining Corpus she worked as Global Head climate change. The recognition in the SDGs of of Risk for a large humanitarian organisation, where those interdependencies is crucial: it is those who she spent a large amount of her time working on are already most marginalised who will suffer more pandemic planning and disaster preparedness. in the worst climate change scenarios. As members of the College and the University lead on research The University itself has a target to reduce to to find solutions to these environmental issues at zero its energy-related carbon emissions by 2048 the macro level, the Green Impact scheme is our (though is hoping to achieve this ten years before opportunity to live out those ideals every day that). At a College level, we’ve been working hard within our community. to reduce our own environmental impact over a number of years. We participate in the University’s

82 Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, reflects on Matthew Paris’ flawed prediction of the end of the world

When passing through difficult times it is When Matthew realised that he was wrong, he had impossible to predict what the future might look to start again – although he seems to have waited like – although that doesn’t stop people from over a year to do so. But it was his job to record the trying. Matthew Paris, monk of St Albans Abbey events of his day – local, national and international. and writer of one of the most famous chronicles He chose (as commentators and pundits tend of the thirteenth century (Parker CCCC MS 16 & to) to pass over in silence the inaccuracy of his 26), made one of the most embarrassing sorts of former predictions and began his next entry very errors that an historian or political commentator simply, “In 1251, the thirty-fifth year of the reign of can make. He used evidence he had collected King Henry the Third, the king spent Christmas at over twenty years to predict the imminent end Winchester”. And for the next nine years, until his of the world – and then had to pick himself up death, he continued to write about political life again when he was proved wrong. and financial affairs, still retaining his fascination with extreme weather events and strange and Matthew was not alone in believing that the miraculous occurrences. world was coming to an end: in the first half of the thirteenth century there were many such Fortunately for future generations, Matthew realised that despite its flaws, his work still had predictions. Matthew chose the date 1250, value and instead of concealing his errors he let persuaded by a combination of observations them stand, serving as a reminder that we, too, can about the natural world and the social and political get beyond our errors and that in the work of others state of humankind. His work recorded unusual we must look for value even amidst mistakes. weather events – terrible storms and droughts – and other apparently miraculous phenomena including rivers flowing backwards, visions of ships in the sky and sea monsters in English rivers. He also noted the fulfilment of prophecies: the attacks of the Tartars, earthquakes, eclipses and meteors, the deaths of princes and popes, the lives of men and women of great holiness but also the rise of great wickedness and terrible heresy. All of these he used as evidence, that the end was nigh. 1250 was, he thought, the culmination of the worst fifty years since the time of Christ. Bringing his life’s work to a conclusion he pens this verse: “Matthew, here your toils are o’er

Stop your pen and toil no more NO.9 ISSUE Seek not what the future brings What comes next brings other things” Image: CCCC ms 16 f. 246r.

83 Corpus Boat Club Charity Challenge Success Congratulations to the Corpus Boat Club on their successful #2020IN2020 Charity Challenge.

From 6-12 June, 41 members of students, alumni and coaches participated in 200 activities and raised £1,050 for the charity Wintercomfort.

84 PELICAN in BRIEF Issue 10: 1 July 2020

Editorial Elizabeth Winter Director of Development

This is the last Pelican in Brief. PinB (as it is now Sometimes the experiences of isolation have affectionately known) was started as a way of resulted in positive outcomes; who knew that communicating with our worldwide community a Zoom call could be the breeding ground during lockdown, keeping alumni and friends for love? Getting to know neighbours and informed about the College, the Fellows, staff strengthened community is a common story. and students – wherever they might be living But many have also spoken of the enduring and working. As the weeks went by, we added importance of the College in their lives. We new voices, including those of alumni and are extremely grateful to all those who have PinB has been the richer and more fascinating been generous both financially and in practical for it. I know from the feedback I receive with things; these are hard times for many and each issue that these snapshots of Corpus, its all support is being put to good use. If one academic narrative and the social braiding of dominant theme has emerged over these the place with its members, resonate warmly past four months it is the way the Corpus with alumni. The strange, dislocating times in community has drawn closer together. Perhaps which we’ve all been living have prompted a sense of belonging to a place which cannot many to talk about personal experiences, be destroyed either physically or intellectually unexpected hardship or loneliness, or illness by a global catastrophe is a reassurance sought and problems with mental health. and found within these familiar, ancient walls.

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This final issue offers two fascinating stories Hoskin talks about how the Venerable Bede about the challenges of opening up research illustrates the meaningful bridges we should labs after lockdown from Professors Judy draw between the past and present. Finally, we Hirst and Chris Howe, and the voice of Dr introduce the new Bursar-elect, Ms Jenny Raine, Maria Rostovskaya, a stem cell scientist at who will be joining the College in September. the Babraham Institute and Praeceptor at I hope there is something here to inspire you, Corpus, who volunteered to work in one of the and that you have found the ten issues of government’s national COVID testing centres. PinB a useful diversion from the more difficult Interim Bursar Dr David Secher describes challenges of isolation, dysfunction and anxiety. how the College is preparing for the return May we all meet up in College soon. of students in Michaelmas, and Dr Philippa

Floreat Antiqua Domus. Photograph taken before lockdown restrictions.

86 News from the College Professor Christopher Howe Professor of Plant and Microbial Biochemistry, President and Director of Studies in Preclinical Medicine

Today was a very ordinary day for me. It was also again with careful control on numbers. It’s been an extraordinary day. It was ordinary in that I went impressive to see how effectively colleagues into my lab in the Biochemistry Department. It have been able to apply their knowledge from was extraordinary in that I went into my lab in the other projects to tackling this virus. Some are Biochemistry Department. Almost all University working on how to make antibody tests more labs were closed in late March as COVID-19 hit. If specific. A test may be able to identify everyone you are an experimental scientist, as the people who has had the infection, but if it also incorrectly in my research group are, it is very difficult to reports as infected many people who have not carry on with much research work if you can’t actually been infected (‘false positives’) it may be access your lab. So it is a tremendous relief that counterproductive, so it is important to ensure we are now being allowed back into our labs, good specificity for a test. Other colleagues are although with tough restrictions on numbers at using knowledge of the detailed biochemistry of any time. Biochemists typically share lab space coronaviruses to see if some of their molecular and specialist equipment, and it is impossible for quirks can be used as targets for new drugs. All the usual number of researchers to be in the lab these projects are powerful demonstrations of the together while maintaining the expected degree fact that scientific research in one area can very of social distancing. Planning how to manage this rapidly have huge but unforeseen implications for for a large Department has been complex. We have important work in other areas. to control the number of people in at any time, as well as minimise the number of people with whom any individual interacts, down to the detail of having one-way systems on staircases. Closing the labs in an orderly way was quick, done within a few days. The partial reopening has taken weeks to plan, with careful work from administrative and support staff as well as academics.

Although there is great relief as the rest of us start to come back to our labs, the return won’t be straightforward. The restrictions on numbers will limit the pace of our work, and it is very possible that future infections will mean we have to put down our pipettes again and leave with very little notice, and the pandemic will certainly have a Some staff in my Department are working on major effect on the research funding climate for projects to do with the COVID-19 virus, and some time to come. At least we can now make a they have been able to continue work, although start.

87 ISSUE NO.10 ISSUE Reflections from the Fellowship Professor Judy Hirst Dean of College and currently Interim Director of the Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit describes the challenges of closing – and opening – a research department March was a month of drastic changes in perspective operational requirements, and enable research in the Director’s Office. Starting with disbelief (hold without compromising safety. Now we’ve struck an the line, business as usual) followed by a dawning uneasy balance, operating under heavy restrictions realisation and uncertainty (normality beginning to with the freedom to research severely curtailed. With break down), and finally the relief of a clear direction: the next relaxation of government guidelines about close the building. Not in itself difficult – we do it to happen, I hope I’ll be rewriting all those rules every Christmas. But then Christmas is planned, again shortly… I really miss informal interactions and doesn’t last for months. This time it was a mass these days, whether chatting to students I encounter evacuation as the enemy advanced: get everyone by chance in the corridor or court, having coffee out to where they wanted to be, equipped to work with my research group, or shared observations from home as effectively as possible. Experiments, and discussions with colleagues after a meeting or some of which had been running for weeks, had to be lecture – they all add huge personal and scientific simply switched off, while our IT guys rushed around value. Scientific conferences aren’t half so productive enabling our computers to work from home too. if you don’t frequent the bar (or so I’ve been told). In the longer term, being present in the lab and in I naively thought that calm might then descend College, in the physical space and in the community, and I’d have the perfect opportunity to catch up on is a crucial way for us all to feel connected and part writing all those papers – but I was wrong. It turns of the wider endeavour, and a forum where we share out that running a closed department is just as and exchange ideas and experiences. Lockdown has much work as running an open one (if not more). demonstrated that we’re capable of controlling and My dining room became the command centre, managing this current challenge to our ways of life. As and we all learned the joys of Zoom. Meetings of a scientist, I’m holding to the faith that our collective my Management Group, now endowed with the research efforts will eventually work out how to deal illustrious title of ‘Gold’, became a surprising highlight with it for good. of each week. Mitochondrial research hasn’t got much to offer in the fight against COVID-19 – but we gave our PPE to the NHS, and seconded staff to testing centres. We continue to do our best to maintain our community, support those who’ve found the lockdown conditions hard – and keep our research going. But just when I thought I’d got working from home sorted, the Prime Minister opened the door to returning to research. Immediately, from principal investigators to postdocs to students, the researchers wanted to get back to work. This was no surprise – it’s one of the characteristics for which the system selects. But it wasn’t that simple: the building had to be prepared, rules had to be written, risk assessments completed, forms filled in and students relocated. And so the month leading up to 15 June (when I finally opened the doors) was the hardest for me, Image: Dean of College during the lockdown: trying to reconcile frustrated scientists with University familiar with PPE at home as well as at work.

88 Dr David Secher reflects on his time as Interim Bursar during these new and interesting times

As you read this I shall have done more than half up a cross-departmental Task Force to manage of my time as Interim Bursar and Corpus has the return of students to College, by-passing just appointed a new permanent Bursar (see the normal communication channels and delegating announcement at the end of this newsletter). authority to speed up timelines. We keep in The work I have been doing is not at all what I was touch with those on furlough, caring for their expecting and the perks – High Table and other physical and mental wellbeing by suggesting social events – all stopped within a fortnight of training or volunteering opportunities. my arrival. But I expect no sympathy; others have had far greater turmoil in their lives as a The Easter Term is over. It is May Week result of COVID-19. and we should be celebrating the students’ achievements. Instead we are deep in preparation My priorities during the past three months have for their return – or their beginning – in October. been to shut down the College in an orderly It won’t be back to normal, but the Corpus staff fashion; to furlough those staff who cannot work are doing all they can to plan for students to be from home; and to prepare for the return of able to return to an environment where they can students to a safe environment that complies study in safety and enjoy the experience that is with ever-changing guidance. It has been uniquely Cambridge. challenging, but rewarding too, thanks to the expertise and loyalty of the wonderful staff of the College. Most staff (around 70 per cent) are on furlough and, of the remainder, all but a handful are working from home. For the skeleton staff in College, it is eerily quiet (though very beautiful in the emptiness and the sunshine). Those at home have struggled with turning bedrooms into offices and learning new virtual ways of working. For those on furlough, the novelty of being on indefinite ‘holiday’, but unable to travel, has long since worn off. We all long for a return to normality. Despite the physical separations, the 120 or so staff of Corpus remain a cohesive community. I have been really impressed how the Heads of Departments and their staff have pulled together and worked out how to collaborate to keep the College alive. No sign of the silos that some colleges suffer from. Staff have shown flexibility in their working hours and practices. We have introduced matrix management techniques (perhaps for the first time in 668 years?) to set

89 ISSUE NO.10 ISSUE Praeceptor’s Story Dr Maria Rostovskaya stem cell scientist at the Babraham Institute and Praeceptor at Corpus, volunteered to work in the national COVID testing programme

The COVID-19 crisis brought a feeling of The next events were surreal. In less than 24 uncertainty and fear for the future to everyone. hours after my application, I was contacted and However, for me, a laboratory-based stem cell asked to arrive at the Milton Keynes Biocentre biologist, it also added frustration over not the next day at 10 a.m. and stay there for a being able to use my skills to help the situation. few days for training. It was like recruitment I could stay at home working on computational in a war. On April 2 I packed my suitcase and analysis without much damage to my project, did not unpack it for the next two and a half but I could not escape a bitter feeling that months. The testing programme began in the at that moment my skills were needed much second half of March with the announcement more to fight the crisis. of the government’s goal to achieve 100,000 tests per day by the end of April. The centre Life changed in just one day with the heart- was up and running in just two weeks. The first breaking news that our Institute Director, group of five volunteers arrived on March 27; I Michael Wakelam, died of suspected COVID-19. was among the second group. It was exciting We all felt utter shock and disbelief. Everything to witness how this testing centre was built feels different when trouble is so close to from scratch, in an empty hangar space, using home. And by an extraordinary coincidence, equipment donated by shut down research just two hours later another email arrived, with institutes. There was an amazing pulling a call for volunteers to work at the National together of effort, including the British Army COVID Testing programme. There were no who helped with the logistics, Amazon who doubts about what to do. This sense of duty agreed to deliver the test samples for free, to contribute was even stronger because one and all the volunteers. By the end of April, of the last of Michael’s emails to the Institute about two hundred volunteers worked in the was to encourage us to join volunteering programme, including undergraduate and PhD programmes to fight the COVID pandemic. students, post-docs, junior and senior group

Image: Milton Keynes volunteers.

90 leaders, from all over the UK – Cambridge, travel only” and thinking that all I want is this Oxford, London, Bath, Leicester, Sheffield, pandemic to be over. Nottingham and many other places. It is finally reassuring to watch how life is slowly The centre operated around the clock with returning back to our cities, step by step. It volunteers working in twelve-hour day and makes it feel as though the effort was worth it. night shifts. The momentum was phenomenal. We could perform just five hundred tests a day I served my last shift on June 12. I felt extremely at the beginning of April, but by the end of the emotional to say thank you and goodbye to month this had expanded to more than 20,000 the amazing people I worked with, who all tests a day. The devotion and drive of the whole became like a big family. I am grateful to have team made it happen. In one of my last shifts, been part of this unimaginable experience, we broke a record of nearly 30,000 tests in 24 which has definitely changed me and which I hours. In the early hours on June 9, the centre will never forget. passed 1,000,000 samples processed in total, and there is a real person behind each sample. It was an extraordinary period in my life, living half-time in Milton Keynes and half-time back home, doing twelve-hour shifts COVID testing, still working on the projects and grants, and supervising students of all my eight colleges from home on so-called “days off”. For the first time in my life, my skin peeled off my hands from pipetting all day long. For the first time in my life, I had to take painkillers to relieve the aching in my finger joints from opening tubes all day long. I was driving back and forth on empty roads between Milton Keynes and Cambridge, passing the signs saying “Essential

91 ISSUE NO.10 ISSUE Observations from the Past Dr Philippa Hoskin Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Fellow Librarian, reflects on what Bede has to teach us about drawing lessons from the past When the world seems to turn upside down, Amongst Matthew Parker’s manuscripts and old certainties evaporate, many people at Corpus are three copies of Bede’s find themselves taking stock of the old, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. assessing what should usefully be kept, One is an eleventh-century version in Old and making plans for a new and uncertain English, the translation made at King Alfred’s future. For a historian, this often prompts (848/849–899 C.E.) instruction, and the other reflection about what is in danger of being two are fourteenth-century Latin versions. lost or forgotten, and inspires them to draw Interestingly, Parker himself found Bede’s work meaningful bridges between the past and the useful when he came to write his own version present. of the history of the English Church, one which attempted to cast the upheaval of the Bede (c.673–735 C.E.), sometimes known as Protestant Reformation in England as less of a the “Father of English History”, was surely rupture or innovation and more of a returning influenced in his work by the dramatic to the old ways of doing things. events of his childhood. Towards the end of his most famous work, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Bede provides the only information he ever gives his reader about himself: “Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow; who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrith.” This connection with the abbot Ceolfrith provides us with a significant clue about Bede’s life and underlying motivation for his life’s work. In the life of Ceolfrith we’re told that in the great plague of 686 C.E. only Ceolfrith and his young pupil (long identified as Bede) went unharmed. They carried on the services together and as lone survivors they refounded the monasteries, maintaining the reassuring continuities of former times, but also going on to forge a new scholastic outlook. Image: CCCC ms 159 f. 69v.

92 Evidence of Parker’s close engagement with the collecting of books. In the medieval these works is plain because we can still see manuscript biography of Bede (MS 159 f. where he marked up the text. One thing 69v) Parker has carefully underlined in his that particularly seems to have appealed distinctive red pencil the phrase “Moreover, to Parker is the discovery that Bede, like he gathered together a most famous library”. himself, supported his scholastic work by

93 ISSUE NO.10 ISSUE Jenny Raine Corpus Christi College announces appointment of new Bursar

Corpus is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Jenny Raine as its next Bursar. The Bursar is an ancient position in the College, responsible for all the financial and other non-educational aspects of the College’s operations. Jenny is an experienced Finance and Operations Director, who has held a variety of posts in public sector and not-for-profit organisations. For the last fifteen years she has held director-level posts in the NHS and as Bursar at Newnham College. Jenny has also held trustee positions on the boards of several charitable organisations in and around Cambridge. Jenny is a chartered accountant and a graduate of the University of York in Biochemistry. She will take up the post on 1 September 2020. Jenny lives in Stetchworth near Newmarket and when not at work enjoys listening to, and participating in, music as well as taking part in a wide variety of outdoor activities with her family. The Master of Corpus commented, “We are delighted to welcome Jenny into the Corpus community. Jenny was selected following an exhaustive global search involving discussions with more than two hundred people. The three best were selected for final interviews (by Zoom) following visits to the College and meetings with key Fellows and staff. Jenny was the unanimous choice of the appointment committee.” Jenny added, “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Corpus. I am very much looking forward to supporting the College to continue to thrive as an academic community through these challenging times and into the future.”

94 Contributors Sam Behjati pg. 15 Anastasia Berg pg. 23 Dominic Bielby pg. 68 John Carr pg. 47 Pietro Cicuta pg. 55 Andrew Davison pgs. 11, 13, 43, 72, 79 Isabella Ferreira pg. 59 Marina Frasca-Spada pgs. 6, 20 Christopher Hann pg. 30 Simon Harding pg. 41 Andrew Harvey pg. 57 John Hatcher pg. 52 Judy Hirst pg. 88 Philippa Hoskin pgs. 12, 16, 26, 33, 61, 74, 83, 92 Christopher Howe pgs. 35, 87 Fumiya Iida pg. 65 Emily Jordan pg. 31 Shruti Kapila pg. 66 Paul Kattuman pg. 38 Christopher Kelly pgs. 5, 28, 64 William Kendall pg. 77 Wendy Klein pg. 81 Stuart Laing pg. 54 Helen Magowan pg. 40 Peter Martland pg. 17 Rory Naismith pg. 62 Thomas Nelson pg. 76 Catherine Olver pg. 42 Sarah Rafferty pg. 70 Jenny Raine pg. 94 Charles Read pg. 17 Jenny Reavell pg. 82 John David Rhodes pg. 36 Tim Rhodes pg. 53 Maria Rostovskaya pg. 90 Kai Ruggeri pg. 50 Andrew Sanger pg. 46 David Secher pgs. 14, 89 Karol Sikora pg. 49 Ewan St John Smith pg. 21 Michael Sutherland pg. 29 Harry Taylor pg. 78 Daniel Williams pg. 25 Emma Wilson pgs. 45, 75 Sarah Winder-Worsley pg. 60 Elizabeth Winter pgs. 2, 19, 85 Han Yu pg. 32 Sam Zeitlin pg. 9 Qingyuan Zhao pgs. 7, 10 Corpus Christi College, Cambridge - Pelican in Brief - March-July 2020

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